WORLD Vision-supported health facilities across Somalia have recorded a sharp increase in the number of children admitted with severe malnutrition. Between January and March, more than 3,500 children were diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition – marking a 60% rise compared to the same period in 2025, when just over 2,000 cases were reported.

This alarming surge is driven by prolonged drought conditions that continue to devastate communities nationwide. Consecutive failed rainy seasons have severely limited access to food and water, pushing millions into hunger. Children under the age of five remain the most vulnerable, with many now at risk of life-threatening complications linked to acute malnutrition.

Funding cuts to the health and nutrition sector are set to further worsen an already dire situation. More than 250 health facilities have closed, while the nutrition sector has received only 4% of the funding required to sustain life-saving services, leaving millions of vulnerable children at heightened risk.