Samia, a malnourished infant, was brought to a UNICEF-supported medical center in Bossaso, Somalia, showing severe signs of malnutrition. Her emaciated body and weakened state due to fever and diarrhea exemplified the dire situation faced by many children in the country. Samia’s mother, desperate for help, had traveled hundreds of kilometers seeking medical attention. Fortunately, after two weeks of intensive care, Samia’s condition improved. However, there are still hundreds of thousands of children in Somalia suffering from similar circumstances.
The Horn of Africa has recently endured its worst drought in decades, with consecutive failed rainy seasons wreaking havoc on agricultural production. The United Nations estimates that over 43.3 million people in the region, including 8.25 million in Somalia, require life-saving assistance. While the current rainy season seems more promising, sustained humanitarian efforts and declining food prices have narrowly averted a famine. Nevertheless, the crisis is far from over, as an estimated 1.8 million Somali children under the age of five could still face acute malnutrition throughout 2023. Approximately 477,700 children urgently need treatment for severe wasting.
Somalia’s challenges extend beyond prolonged droughts. Climate change has trapped the country in a cycle of droughts and floods, with recent heavy rains leading to flooding and the displacement of over 200,000 people. Despite initial delays in responding to the threat of famine, the international community eventually came to Somalia’s aid, averting a full-blown catastrophe. However, with attention now shifted elsewhere due to global crises like the war in Ukraine and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Somalia’s plight risks being forgotten.
UNICEF is specifically urging more UN member states to provide assistance to the Horn of Africa. Urgent funding is needed to continue treating thousands of Somali children suffering from severe acute malnutrition. UNICEF expresses major concerns about 18 districts in southern Somalia that urgently require supplies of therapeutic foods, milk, medicines, vaccines, and other essential health services. The organization collaborates with the government and other UN agencies to prevent malnutrition, provide safe drinking water, and deliver healthcare services.
In addition to urgent humanitarian funding, Somalia needs predictable, long-term financing to help families adapt to the impacts of climate change. Despite contributing minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions, Somalia calls for climate financing from the international community, recognizing the moral obligation to support countries disproportionately affected by climate change.
To sustain the lifesaving work carried out in centers like the one that treated Samia, increased donor support is crucial. UNICEF faces a funding gap of $218 million in Somalia as of April this year. Bridging this gap is vital to saving more lives like Samia’s.
