Mogadishu (Dawan Africa) – Somalia’s humanitarian response is facing a critical funding shortfall that threatens to shut down life-saving nutrition services, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned in its July 2025 Humanitarian Situation Report released on Monday.
OCHA reported that facilities treating severe malnutrition are running out of resources, with pipelines for therapeutic food and essential medical supplies at risk of disruption. Nearly 1.8 million children are projected to suffer from acute malnutrition this year, and many could lose access to treatment unless urgent funding is secured.
The report shows that Somalia’s 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan is only 16 percent funded. Originally designed to reach 4.6 million people, the plan has now been scaled back to just 1.3 million, reducing coverage by nearly three-quarters.
According to OCHA, the funding shortfall has already forced reductions in health, water, and protection services across several regions, particularly in central and southern Somalia, where families continue to face displacement from conflict and climate shocks.
The agency further noted that some nutrition centres have already started reducing admissions due to limited supplies, with priority given only to the most critical cases. Without new resources, closures could result in preventable child deaths and a worsening food security situation in the coming months.
The July update stressed that predictable and sustained donor support remains essential to avoid reversing progress made after famine risks were averted in 2024. OCHA underscored that immediate funding is required to keep operations running and to ensure that vulnerable populations — especially children — continue to receive life-saving assistance.
