Somalia’s youngest at risk as nutrition clinics shut
The ICRC said that in May alone, the stabilisation centre at Kismayo General Hospital admitted 277 critically ill children, the highest monthly total since 2023.
A growing number of children across Somalia are suffering from severe malnutrition, as ongoing conflict, displacement, and climate-related disasters continue to strain health systems.
Humanitarian agencies have warned that the crisis is worsening, with thousands of vulnerable families left without access to early treatment following the closure of key nutrition clinics.
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According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), malnutrition cases have surged significantly, with health facilities seeing record numbers of admissions.
The ICRC said that in May alone, the stabilisation centre at Kismayo General Hospital admitted 277 critically ill children, the highest monthly total since 2023.
From January to May this year, the centre received 863 patients, marking a nearly 70 per cent rise compared to the previous five-month period.
"Conflict is uprooting families, floods are destroying crops, and some areas are already parched by drought. Parents simply cannot afford food, and small children are the first to starve," said Antoine Grand, Head of the ICRC delegation in Somalia.
The Charity said stabilisation centres like the one in Kismayo in southern Somalia provide life-saving treatment for children under the age of five who are suffering from medical complications brought on by hunger. However, such facilities are scarce.
According to the relief agency, updated humanitarian projections indicate that food insecurity is expected to worsen in the coming months, with nearly 47,000 children at risk of acute malnutrition.
It noted that the Somali Red Crescent Society (SRCS), with its support, has recorded a rise in patients at outpatient nutrition clinics.
It attributed the growing needs to ongoing conflict, mass displacement, and recurring floods and droughts that have left communities increasingly vulnerable.
In response to the escalating crisis, the ICRC said it continues to support the Kismayo stabilisation centre and 11 SRCS-run nutrition clinics, which have treated around 1,400 children so far this year.
The organisation has also provided emergency cash to over 15,000 displaced families to help them purchase food and other essentials.
Hospitals treating people wounded by conflict have also received medical supplies and ongoing assistance.
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