Somalia

Four major child-focused agencies launched the Joining Forces Somalia Chapter on 11 February 2026, uniting efforts to strengthen child protection laws, end violence against children, and amplify children's voices in policy decisions. Save the Children Somalia chairs the alliance, which will advocate for passage of key child rights legislation and conduct national research on the situation of Somalia's children.

In July 2025, a diphtheria outbreak swept through Puntland, claiming 27 lives and infecting 482 people. Save the Children and the Puntland Ministry of Health, with funding from Gavi, launched a rapid emergency response deploying 35 mobile vaccination teams across four hotspot districts. The intervention reached over 48,000 individuals, immunising more than 40,000 children and successfully containing the outbreak. This is the story of the health workers, parents, and communities who came together to protect their children from a deadly but preventable disease.

Children in Somalia are facing a catastrophic hunger crisis after four consecutive failed rainy seasons completely exhausted food reserves in several regions with the next few months critical to prevent avoidable deaths.

In drought-prone Burao District, two women's lives changed when early warning systems and community training gave them the knowledge and voice to protect their families. Nasra now leads disaster preparedness in her community, while Zainab, who once lost everything to drought, can now act before crisis strikes. Their story shows how empowering women with timely information transforms entire communities.

Less than a third of people needing food assistance in Somalia received support in October with worsening conditions prompting the country to declare the first national drought emergency in nearly three years.

Three horrific acts of violence against children in Somalia in recent weeks are highlighting the urgent need for the Somali government to approve and implement legislation that protects children.

Reactive Statement on Approval of Somalia’s National Independent Human Rights Commission

The landmark ratification of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child this week means the government of Somalia is now legally obliged to align national laws and policies with the provisions of the charter that was established 35 years ago.

The figures reveal that 4.4 million people, or just under a quarter of the population, are now expected to experience high levels of acute food insecurity by the end of 2025.

Over 60 children from 16 African countries are urging their heads of state at the Africa Climate Summit this week to consider their views and experiences in shaping climate policies, with children in most of the continent found to be at high or extremely high risk of the impacts of climate change.

Cases of five infectious diseases have doubled in Somalia since mid-April as aid cuts force hundreds of health clinics to close, with children under five the worst impacted.

We learned that the cholera outbreak affecting my children and many in the community was due to the water we were using. We were provided with water jerrycans, water purification tablets (chlorine), and soap for hygiene.

I used to feel really scared about telling my mom and dad. I used to worry about anything that might get me into trouble, because I thought they would punish me for it, and that scared me even more! So sometimes, I would keep things to myself even if I really wanted to share them with my parents.

Seeing my older siblings go to school, I wanted to do the same. I love to learn but my parents were hesitant to send me to school as they worried for my safety. But I still insisted and eventually, they relented.

In the bustling streets of Mogadishu, Somalia, a ground-breaking initiative is rewriting the narrative of plastic waste, morphing it from an environmental nuisance into a beacon of hope for countless women. This venture, born from the collaboration between the Inclusive Resilience in Somalia (IRiS) Project and King Plastic, is more than just urban waste management. It's a saga of empowerment, environmental stewardship, and economic revival in one of the globe's most challenging environments.

For the past five years, we have been a regular visitor to this health centre which has become our lifeline. My children and I have received essential medical care, vaccinations, and nutritional support.

Learning to read and write and helping my mother keep track of the debts in her shop makes me happy. She can’t read or write, but I can record the borrowed items for her. It made me feel bad to see my mother needing help. I wish she could go to school like me and my siblings, so she wouldn’t need others to write down her business.

Joining this course turned out to be a great decision. Learning with people who shared similar dreams and interests made the classes more enjoyable and smoother.

My initial experience as a teacher was quite challenging. Despite my educational background, I struggled to manage my classroom effectively. Without prior training in Alternative Basic Education, I found it difficult to engage with the diverse group of students attending our school.

My daughter is different from my other children who do not learn technical skills. Fatima* helps with daily tasks, like fixing the electricity when it breaks down.

At least 55,000 children supported by Save the Children in Somalia will lose access to lifesaving nutrition services by June, as aid cuts force Save the Children-supported nutrition centres to close.

Every day I worked hard, but the weather, the seeds, and the old methods always worked against me. With the right knowledge and support, I can now see the fruits of my labor.

I’m no longer just a mother and wife; I am also a farmer contributing to the success of our household. I hope more women like me can receive the same kind of support because when women farmers are empowered, it’s not just their lives that change it’s the whole family, the whole community. When women succeed, everyone benefits.

PRESS STATEMENT

As a woman leader in GBV response, I face immense challenges, especially due to cultural norms that discourage open discussions on such topics. But I refuse to stay silent. I have seen firsthand the consequences of GBV on women and girls. It is my responsibility to use my voice to break the cycle of violence.

When a woman or girl seeks help, she often hesitates to share what happened. She may fear being judged by others or worry about dealing with all the stigma that comes with incidents of GBV. At times, some even refuse basic care and support, such as medical checkups or medication, because of the stigma associated with their experiences,’’ –said Sundus* 23, a case worker in Hiran region of Somalia.

"I was cut at the age of 7. The pain I felt was unimaginable. Since the day I was cut, both the physical and emotional pain have become a part of my existence"

I watched my wife endure unimaginable pain during childbirth because of FGM. As a I couldn’t bear the thought of my daughters facing the same fate. It was my duty to protect them from a lifetime of pain. In my community, many saw FGM as an unbreakable tradition, but to me, it was a form of cruelty that needed to end. No child should ever be subjected to this kind of harm,”. Said Mohamed*.

The situation was terrifying. My daughter was so small, and she was very weak. Watery stool after watery stool, and she couldn't keep anything down. She wouldn't even take breast milk. Her eyes looked sunken, and she just lay there so weak. I was so scared I was going to lose her.

On a journey back to his birthplace, Sir Mo Farah said it was heartbreaking to witness the devastating impact climate change

Devastating floods and landslides have affected about 600,000 children across Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia so far this year.

Cholera kills 54 people in Somalia with cases rising – Save the Children

Violence must end after rape of 13-year-old girl in displacement camp in Somalia – Save the Children

Save the Children is providing hands-on practical learning of solar energy installation and maintenance skills to Somali youth.

Pneumonia and diarrhoea remain the biggest killers of children under 5 years of age.

About two in five children under the age of five in Somalia are likely to suffer from acute malnutrition by July 2024, despite initial hopes of rain

A man stands outside a school in flood water in Somalia, where flash flooding risks a rise in malnutrition

The drought in the Horn of Africa, including Somalia, has been hard for children

Floods in Somalia and Ethiopia affect people hit by hunger crisis

About 1.8 million children aged under five are still expected to suffer from acute malnutrition in Somalia this year with the emergency far from over

Malnutrition in Somalia on the rise in children according to new figures

“We fled hunger but hunger followed us here”: Children in Somalia face soaring levels of malnutrition

World Food Day: Photo series tells tales of children struggling to survive in Somalia as it teeters on the brink of famine

New figures reveal more than half of children in Somalia now facing malnutrition

Final warning: Children’s lives at risk across Somalia with country at the door of famine

SOMALIA: Severe malnutrition among children soars 300% since January

Malnourished children are treated on mattresses outside overflowing hospitals as Somalia accelerates towards famine

“The drought has brought despair. I don’t know what will become of us”: Families on the move as drought takes its toll on Somalia

A day in the life of Amran - an Early Childhood Education Project Assistant in Somalia.

Global donors urged to move quickly to prevent starvation and death for millions in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya

HORN OF AFRICA DROUGHT: Fears mount as rains failing for the fourth time and war in Ukraine sends food prices rocketing

SOMALIA: Crippling drought forces nearly half a million people from their homes so far this year with child hunger soaring

Somalia: Calls for justice as four children sentenced to death over involvement with armed groups

Somalia’s worst drought crisis in a decade leaves millions hungry with lives at risk

Southern Somalia: One in two young children left undersized by chronic malnutrition

Drought threatens millions in Somalia as government declares state of emergency

16 years of saving children’s lives: A day-in-the life of one incredible health worker

Disaster for Somali families as income from livestock sales expected to halve in coming months

Severe water shortages in Somalia leave 70% of families without safe drinking water

840,000 children going hungry as Somalia declares state of emergency over locust invasion

Cyclone Gati: 32,000 children and their families flee impact of Somalia’s strongest storm on record

Teachers' wellbeing is essential to children's development

150,000 children flee with their families as floods hit parts of Somalia

COVID-19: School closures put decades of gains for Somali children at risk

Life during coronavirus: Missing school, missing friends

COVID-19 in Somalia: Health and nutrition services under threat

COVID-19 risks in East Africa heighten as severe floods displace nearly half a million people

Locusts, floods and COVID-19: a potentially deadly combination for malnourished children across the Horn of Africa

Plague of locusts ravages three East African countries as region prepares for another year of hunger

Concerns remain for children affected by floods in Somalia

Extreme flooding batters Somalia forcing at least 100,000 children from their homes

Somalia: Tens of thousands of flood-hit families in Hiraan urgently need humanitarian aid

Hunger levels soar in Horn of Africa as region faces driest summer in over 35 years

Dire warnings as Somalia teeters on edge of food crisis

Children in Somalia face some of the highest rates of grave violations

Progress led by Rwanda, Malawi and Uganda, although under-5 mortality rate remains high across the region.

Three in four children in Puntland face acute food shortages, warns Save the Children

More children are living in areas affected by armed conflict than at any time over the past two decades, a new report from Save the Children reveals

The fight is not over yet! - interview with Nafisa Yusuf on the Approval of the Sexual Offences Law in Somaliland

Somaliland’s drought threatens progress in protecting females from sexual violence