Somalia is confronting a severe malnutrition emergency among its children, exacerbated by significant funding gaps and escalating displacement caused primarily by drought and political instability.

Alarming Malnutrition Rates in Baidoa

Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reports that in Baidoa, located in Somalia’s southwest, one in two children screened is acutely malnourished, while one in four suffers from severe malnutrition. MSF’s July survey of 888 households across 14 displacement sites revealed critical shortages of food and clean water, with many families rationing meals to their children.

Rising Displacement and Healthcare Challenges

  • More than 21,000 children have been admitted for malnutrition treatment in MSF-supported outpatient facilities since early 2026—over double the previous year’s figures.
  • Inpatient admissions during the dry season (January to March) increased by 78% compared to 2025.
  • According to UNHCR data, nearly 512,000 people were newly displaced in Somalia during the first quarter of 2026, with 93% displaced due to drought.
  • Conflict-related displacement, mainly in Baidoa amid political tensions, accounts for 6% of new displacements.

Compounding Health Threats and Limited Aid

Outbreaks of measles and diphtheria are spreading rapidly in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in Baidoa, with pregnant and lactating women particularly vulnerable. MSF has treated approximately 2,500 measles cases since January, surpassing last year’s total.

Healthcare providers face overwhelming demand, with 90% of malnourished children arriving at hospitals presenting severe complications. According to MSF Health Adviser Mitchell Sangma, transportation barriers linked to insecurity delay critical treatment, forcing difficult decisions regarding patient care.

Funding Shortfalls Threaten Response Efforts

Somalia’s 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan has been slashed to $852 million, targeting only 2.4 million people—less than half of those in need. By July, funding covered less than one-third of the plan. Donor support has declined amid shifting priorities and political considerations.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warns that about six million Somalis, roughly one-third of the population, face food shortages. Nearly 1.9 million are in emergency conditions requiring urgent aid, with almost 1.88 million children expected to need malnutrition treatment this year.