Somalia Malnutrition Funding Plunges Over 80% as Child Hunger Surges

GENEVA: Funding to address acute malnutrition in parts of Somalia has fallen by more than 80% this year, even as the number of children requiring treatment continues to climb, according to Doctors Without Borders, also known as Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).

MSF health adviser Mitchell Sangma said United States support for aid agencies in Somalia had fallen from $70 million last year to no funding this year. Other Western donors have also reduced their contributions, leaving humanitarian organisations struggling to expand services as needs intensify.

Treatment demand rises sharply

MSF has admitted around 22,000 nutrition cases so far in 2026, more than 80% above the comparable figure last year. The organisation says the increase is placing severe pressure on clinics and forcing medical teams to make difficult decisions about admissions and discharges.

In Baidoa, a July survey covering 888 households at 14 displacement sites found that one in four children screened was severely malnourished. One-third of families reported surviving on a single meal a day, while just 2% said they could afford three meals.

MSF has screened more than 21,000 children under the age of five in Baidoa since the beginning of the year. It reported acute malnutrition rates of about 50% among those screened and has tripled the capacity of its therapeutic feeding facility to 150 beds.

Drought, conflict and displacement deepen crisis

Repeated failed rainy seasons have damaged crops, killed livestock and depleted water supplies across Somalia. Conflict and insecurity have further disrupted livelihoods and restricted access to food, healthcare and humanitarian assistance.

Somali authorities and the United Nations said in February that about 6.5 million people were facing acute hunger because of drought. More than half a million people were displaced during the first three months of 2026, according to UN figures, with women and children accounting for around 85% of those uprooted.

The scale of the crisis has revived concerns about conditions approaching those seen during Somalia’s 2022 near-famine. MSF estimates that donor funding currently available for Somalia stands at roughly $300 million, compared with $2.2 billion mobilised during the similar drought emergency four years ago.

MSF calls for immediate international action

MSF warned that discharged patients can quickly return with complications when families still lack sufficient food and clean water. The organisation urged donors to restore support before the crisis deteriorates further, stressing that humanitarian intervention should not be delayed until a formal famine declaration.

The funding shortfall threatens nutrition screening, therapeutic feeding and broader health services at a time when vulnerable communities need a major expansion of assistance. Aid agencies say rapid financing is essential to prevent avoidable deaths and protect children already facing severe hunger.

Sources: Qatar News Agency (QNA), Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and Reuters, 11 August 2026.