Somalia has been facing a malnutrition crisis, caused by a combination of prolonged droughts, ongoing conflicts, lack of healthcare facilities and economic instability. These factors have made it increasingly difficult for families to access nutritious food and healthcare services.
In Baidoa and Mudug, multiple humanitarian actors have reduced or halted operations due to funding shortfalls. In Baidoa, several nutritional programs were shut down in 2023, leaving a major gap in services. The region continues to experience a high influx of displaced populations due to ongoing conflict, climate shocks, and economic instability, further straining the limited resources available. Mudug faces similar challenges, with persistent malnutrition rates observed in displacement camps, where both severe and moderate malnutrition have worsened compared to 2023. MSF continues to respond to the crisis through Ambulatory and In-patient Therapeutic Feeding Centres (ATFC and ITFC) in Baidoa and Mudug, offering treatment for severely malnourished children. In Bay Regional Hospital and seven decentralized sites, MSF provides outpatient nutrition programs for children under 5. In Galkayo and the Xaarhaar IDP settlements, MSF runs community-based outreach programs across 26 camps and host communities with a referral system to the hospital. According to the UN OCHA In 2024, an estimated 1.7 million children aged 6 to 59 months in Somalia faced acute malnutrition, including approximately 430,000 with severe acute malnutrition. In the same year, our teams have treated 18,066 malnourished children in Somalia, which represents only a small fraction (1%) of the total malnourished population, highlighting the need for expanded nutritional support and interventions to reach the vast number of affected children.