Severe acute malnutrition among children in Baidoa, Somalia, has surged dramatically, nearly tripling over the past six months. This alarming increase is attributed to worsening drought conditions, food shortages, disease outbreaks, and significant reductions in humanitarian aid.
According to data from Save the Children’s Baidoa Stabilization Centre, 400 children with severe acute malnutrition and related medical complications were treated in June 2026, up from 143 cases recorded in January. Overall, the centre has managed 1,405 cases in the first half of the year, marking a 177% rise compared to the same period last year.
Save the Children, which has been active in Somalia since 1951, highlights that the crisis is driven by consecutive poor rainy seasons, declining harvests, livestock losses, soaring food prices, and diminished household purchasing power. Concurrently, admissions for moderate acute malnutrition have risen by 268% in early 2026.
The organization warns that ongoing aid cuts and disruptions caused by conflicts in the Middle East have led to shortages of ready-to-use therapeutic foods and other critical supplies. This has forced many families to forgo treatment, resulting in a decline in admissions since April.
Additional challenges include outbreaks of measles, cholera, and acute watery diarrhoea, which exacerbate malnutrition risks among children. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) recently indicated that nearly half of Somalia’s children under five suffer from acute malnutrition. Furthermore, Burhakaba district in the Bay region is currently classified at risk of famine—the first such designation since the 2022 drought.
Save the Children reports that more than 300 nutrition centres have closed this year due to funding shortfalls, leaving only 12% of those in need receiving humanitarian assistance. The worsening situation coincides with the 15th anniversary of the 2011 famine in Somalia, which claimed over 250,000 lives.
In November 2025, Somalia’s federal government declared a drought emergency, yet resources remain insufficient to meet escalating needs. Save the Children calls for urgent, increased support for food security, nutrition, healthcare, water, and sanitation services, particularly in the Bay region, to prevent a devastating famine.
