Somalia continues to face a critical and worsening nutrition crisis. An estimated 1.85 million children under 5 will face acute malnutrition between August 2025 and July 2026, including 421,000 children who will suffer from severe acute malnutrition.
This crisis is driven by multiple compounding factors: poor rainfall, conflict and insecurity, high food prices, disease outbreaks, and limited access to health and nutrition services. In November 2025, the Somali government declared a national drought after four consecutive failed rainy seasons, further intensifying food insecurity and malnutrition across the country.
About 4.4 million people—nearly one out of every four—do not have enough food to eat. A 2025 assessment found that malnutrition across the country is getting worse. The number of children who are too thin has increased from 11.7% last year to 14.3%. Galkayo is one of the most affected areas. Many families cannot meet their basic needs. In the camps in Galkayo where displaced families live, conditions are even worse: about 25 out of every 100 children are malnourished, and six out of every 100 children are severely malnourished.
International Medical Corps, with generous support from the European Union and nutrition supplies from UNICEF, has strengthened healthcare and nutrition services at Galkayo South Hospital, including the stabilisation centre and outpatient therapeutic programs. Galkayo South Hospital is the largest hospital in the region, and the stabilisation centre there is the only one of its kind in Galmudug region. These services ensure that severely acutely malnourished children like Muhanad receive timely, lifesaving care and are given the opportunity to recover, grow and reclaim their childhood.
In the crowded Xaar Xaar internally displaced persons (IDP) site in Galkayo, Fadumo Suyaad Xasan, 25 years old, shoulders a heavy responsibility. Living in conditions marked by poverty and food insecurity, she is the primary caregiver for her brother’s young son, Muhanad Salman Xasan, a two-and-a-half-year-old boy whose early life has been shaped by hardship. Muhanad lives with his grandmother and three aunts and uncles, including Fadumo, all of whom contribute what they can, but the family struggles to meet even the most basic needs.
Muhanad’s parents are divorced, and his father has custody of him. Unfortunately, his father’s limited availability and fragile income mean that most of the child’s daily care falls to his aunt, Fadumo. His father earns a very small income working at a local shop, but with rising food prices and the family’s crowded living situation, this is far from sufficient to provide regular meals or proper nutrition. As a result, the household often survives on less than two meals per day, a reality that has taken a devastating toll on Muhanad’s health.
Over time, the effects of prolonged hunger and inadequate nutrition became impossible to ignore. Muhanad grew increasingly weak, losing his appetite and struggling to eat or drink. His small body began to swell, and his energy faded. Once active and responsive, he became quiet and withdrawn, alarming Fadumo and the rest of the family. As his condition worsened rapidly, Fadumo feared she might lose him.
Recognising the seriousness of the situation, Fadumo acted quickly. She brought Muhanad to a mobile clinic serving the IDP site, where International Medical Corps health workers immediately identified signs of severe acute malnutrition and urgently referred him to Galkayo South Hospital for specialised care.
“When the swelling did not go down, and he kept getting weaker, I knew I could not manage on my own,” Fadumo said. “I was afraid of what would happen if I waited any longer.”
When Muhanad arrived at Galkayo South Hospital, his condition was critical. Following the referral from the mobile clinic, he was immediately assessed at the triage unit, where medical staff confirmed that he was suffering from a severe and life-threatening form of acute malnutrition. His condition required urgent, specialised care, and he was promptly admitted to the stabilisation centre, which is supported by International Medical Corps.
At admission, Muhanad presented with severe bilateral pitting oedema/swelling (grade 3), weakness, poor appetite, and ulcerative dermatitis (extreme inflammation that produces ulcers) and open skin lesions; clear indicators of complicated severe acute malnutrition. The stabilisation centre’s team initiated treatment in line with Somalia’s integrated management of acute malnutrition guidelines, prioritising stabilisation and close monitoring to address immediate risks to his life.
The staff treated us with care and patience, teaching me how to nurture him back to health. Now he eats well and plays again. Seeing him smile has brought hope back into our home.
Fadumo Suyaad
Muhanad was started on therapeutic feeding with F-75 milk, carefully administered to stabilise his condition, correct electrolyte imbalances that contributed to the severe oedema and prevent further complications. His skin lesions were treated with gentian violet, and he also received essential antibiotics, including ampicillin and gentamicin, to treat underlying infections and reduce the risk of sepsis. Throughout this critical phase, he was closely monitored for complications such as hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), hypothermia and infection. After five days of intensive care, Muhanad began to show signs of improvement. The swelling gradually reduced, his appetite slowly returned, and he regained enough strength to sit up and engage and play with Fadumo and the healthcare workers providing his treatment.
As his condition stabilised, our team transitioned his feeding from F-75 to F-100 therapeutic milk and later introduced ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) as part of the nutritional rehabilitation process, preparing him for continued recovery outside the inpatient setting.
During this whole process, International Medical Corps’ staff worked closely with Fadumo, ensuring she understood each step of her nephew’s recovery. She received counselling on the causes of malnutrition, the importance of continued follow-up care, and proper hygiene practices to prevent infections and diarrhoea. She was also guided on infant and young-child feeding practices, including how to diversify Muhanad’s diet using affordable, locally available foods, even within her limited household budget. This guidance helped equip her with practical skills to sustain his recovery at home.
After 11 days in the stabilisation centre, Muhanad’s medical complications resolved, his oedema subsided to a mild level and his appetite returned. Once he was no longer in immediate danger, Muhanad was transferred to the outpatient therapeutic program to continue treatment closer to home. With weekly follow-up visits and the continued provision of RUTF, he continues to gain weight and regain energy.
“The staff treated us with care and patience, teaching me how to nurture him back to health. Now he eats well and plays again,” said Fadumo. “Seeing him smile has brought hope back into our home.”
With support from International Medical Corps, made possible by generous funding from the European Union through the Caafmiaad Plus consortium, and nutrition supplies from UNICEF, children like Muhanad are receiving timely, lifesaving treatment for severe acute malnutrition. By strengthening stabilisation and outpatient nutrition services across Somalia, International Medical Corps is helping to prevent avoidable child deaths and giving children the chance not only to survive, but to grow and thrive. Continued investment and funding are critical to sustain and expand these essential programs. Without ongoing support, countless children remain at risk of malnutrition and its devastating consequences. The European Union’s continued partnership ensures that more children can receive lifesaving care, restore their health and reclaim their childhood
