Aid disruptions worsen child hunger in Somalia

Children in Somalia are at risk of worsening hunger as aid deliveries are disrupted and costs rise, the Associated Press reported on 27 March.

UNICEF warned that children are “on the edge” as a prolonged drought and reduced aid access continue to strain already limited resources. Families displaced by four failed rainy seasons have arrived in camps with little food, while many children are severely malnourished and too weak to cry. 

Aid workers said the war in the Middle East has disrupted supply routes and driven up fuel and transport costs, complicating aid operations in Somalia. The UN agency warned costs could rise by 30% to 60%, and in some cases double, delaying deliveries and creating uncertainty around supplies already in transit.

During a visit to Dollow, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said the conflict had been a “shock to the system” for humanitarian work in Somalia. She said rising costs and logistical challenges meant supplies were harder to deliver and warned that more children could suffer as a result. 

UNICEF said it has $15.7 million worth of supplies, including therapeutic food, vaccines and mosquito nets, in transit or being prepared for Somalia, but their arrival remains uncertain. At the same time, more than 400 health and nutrition facilities have closed over the past year, largely due to cuts in US funding, limiting access to care for vulnerable communities. 

Somalia has faced repeated food crises linked to drought, conflict and displacement. The country is also dealing with a long-running conflict with the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab group, which continues to affect stability and access to aid in some areas.

The World Food Programme has warned that successive failed rainy seasons and ongoing insecurity have left millions struggling to access food. The agency said reduced funding has limited food assistance, leaving vulnerable communities at continued risk of hunger.

At health centres in Dollow, staff said supplies to treat malnutrition could run out by mid-April if new deliveries do not arrive. Health workers said that without additional support, more children could deteriorate, with some at risk of death.

Associated Press, UNICEF, Word Frood Programme, Maghrebi.org