Nearly 500,000 children in Somalia now face the risk of severe acute malnutrition, the deadliest form of hunger, as a devastating drought combines with deep aid cuts and soaring import costs driven by the Iran war.
The warning from UNICEF comes as the U.N. World Food Program declared 2026 the worst year on record for drought in the country. “Children have started dying,” said Hameed Nuru, WFP Somalia director, in an interview with the Associated Press.
A Crisis Within a Crisis
Somalia’s government and the United Nations estimate that 6.5 million people, roughly one-third of the population of 22 million, are now experiencing crisis-level hunger. The figure represents a sharp increase from earlier projections of 5.5 million.
Food production has collapsed. Maize and sorghum yields during the October-to-December rainy season fell to the lowest levels ever recorded, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. Three consecutive years without consistent rainfall have wiped out livestock across pastoral communities.
The crisis is compounded by a sharp drop in humanitarian funding. U.S. aid cuts under the Trump administration reduced Somalia-related funding dramatically, with total humanitarian contributions falling to $531 million in 2025. At the same time, the Iran war has driven up the cost of fuel and imported food on which Somalia depends.
Four Countries at Breaking Point
The crisis extends beyond Somalia. A UNICEF report warned that four African nations, including Somalia, Kenya, Nigeria, and another unnamed country, could run out of supplies to treat child malnutrition within three months due to global aid cuts.
This drought is not just another cycle of dry season. It is a repeated climate shock with shrinking humanitarian support.
– Mohamed Assair, Save the Children manager, Puntland
Aid agencies say September marks a critical turning point, with most organizations facing the prospect of significant disruptions or forced scaling down of nutrition programs. The Somali diaspora continues sending remittances, but relief workers say the support falls far short of what is needed.
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