MOGADISHU — The World Food Programme (WFP) has announced that it has provided nutritional aid to over 180,000 children and pregnant or breastfeeding women in Somalia, funded by a $4.5 million contribution from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief).
“Acute malnutrition levels are reaching a critical point in Somalia, with lifesaving nutrition services slashed by more than half since the beginning of 2025,” said Hameed Nuru, WFP Representative and Country Director in Somalia. “KSrelief’s support enabled WFP to provide more than 180,000 children and mothers with specialized nutritious foods to prevent malnutrition. As needs rise, interventions like this, alongside lifesaving food assistance, are essential to ensure that vulnerable families continue receiving the support they urgently need.”
Hunger Crisis Rapidly Deteriorating
The agency warned that Somalia’s hunger situation is deteriorating quickly, with 6.5 million people — approximately one-third of the population — experiencing crisis levels of food insecurity, including two million in emergency conditions. This dire situation is the direct result of two consecutive failed rainy seasons, persistent regional conflict, and a drastic reduction in overall humanitarian funding.
Nearly 6.5 million people in Somalia are experiencing severe hunger as rapidly deteriorating drought conditions, ongoing conflict, and massive reductions in global aid exacerbate the nation’s humanitarian crisis, according to a joint alert issued by the Federal Government and United Nations agencies. Officials attribute the plummeting food security situation to a devastating convergence of water scarcity, violent conflict, and historically low levels of humanitarian assistance driven by global funding reductions.
Child Malnutrition Projections for 2026
The WFP projected that in 2026, approximately 1.84 million children will suffer from acute malnutrition, with more than 483,000 likely to face its most severe form. The Federal Government of Somalia, in collaboration with the United Nations, has issued a dire warning after the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report revealed that acute hunger levels nationwide have doubled within the past year.
Health assessments project that 1.6 million children under five will suffer from acute malnutrition throughout 2026. Among this highly vulnerable group, approximately 396,000 children will experience severe acute malnutrition, necessitating urgent, specialized medical care to prevent soaring mortality rates.
Nutrition Support Reaches Drought-Affected Regions
According to the WFP, mothers and children in some of Somalia’s most drought-stricken regions have already received this nutrition support, which has helped safeguard their health and minimize malnutrition risks. The project also strengthened connections between preventative nutrition services and other existing health and nutrition programmes, ensuring continuity of care and increasing overall impact.
In a renewed effort to combat hunger and malnutrition, Somalia’s Minister of Health, Dr. Ali Hajiadam Abubakar, launched a nutrition project targeting mothers and children in drought-affected regions, funded by KSrelief and implemented by the WFP, designed to strengthen essential nutrition and health services for the country’s most vulnerable communities.
WFP Funding Crisis Looms
Despite this vital assistance, severe financial constraints have already forced the WFP to implement substantial reductions across its operations. The World Food Programme is urgently appealing for $95 million to sustain critical food and nutrition operations in Somalia through August 2026, warning that without an immediate injection of funds, its lifesaving programs could be forced to shut down entirely by April.
The number of emergency food aid recipients has plummeted from 2.2 million in early 2025 to just over 600,000 currently. Crucial nutrition initiatives have also been severely diminished, with targeted support for expectant mothers, nursing women, and young children dropping from approximately 400,000 beneficiaries in October down to roughly 90,000 by December.
Government Partnership with WFP on Climate Resilience
The Federal Government has been actively working with the WFP to address the root causes of food insecurity. Somalia’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, General Bashir Mohamed Jama, held a critical strategic meeting with WFP Country Director Hameed Nuru to align national environmental policies with international humanitarian initiatives to effectively address the growing climate challenges impacting the Horn of Africa. Both officials emphasized the urgent requirement for robust climate adaptation measures, examining the vital connection between environmental deterioration and food security.
Commitment to Child Nutrition
KSrelief has been a steadfast partner of WFP in Somalia, contributing a total of $8.7 million since 2022 to support humanitarian relief and nutrition interventions across the country. This latest contribution builds on that sustained engagement as Somalia’s hunger crisis continues to worsen.
At the Warcade Nutrition Centre in Dhusamareeb, hundreds of families have received critical support as the Galmudug Ministry of Health, in partnership with UNICEF and the WFP, expanded life-saving services under the Joint Resilience Programme, providing therapeutic feeding, medical check-ups, and counseling for families, ensuring that children suffering from severe acute malnutrition receive urgent care.
The WFP has confirmed that it currently possesses the necessary personnel and logistical infrastructure on the ground to scale operations back up immediately. However, without urgent donor pledges, Somalia risks a rapid deterioration into catastrophic hunger, carrying potentially grave humanitarian and security repercussions for the entire Horn of Africa.
