Somalia

Maryam*, 40, is raising eleven children in Bander Beyla District, Puntland, where two years of declining fish catches left the family in debt and several children out of school. Through a Save the Children project funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, she received 90 dollars a month for four months, allowing her to buy food, store water and return children to class. She is now a member of a community early warning committee, helping neighbours prepare for climate shocks and calling for continued support so her children can stay in school.

About half of children under 5 in Somalia are facing acute malnutrition as poor rains and rising costs drive up hunger levels, with risk of famine announced for the first time in four years.

In a new report, When Aid Disappears, Childhood Disappears Too, Save the Children reveals how the collapse of international aid funding to Somalia in 2025 may soon lead to catastrophic outcomes for children not seen since the 2011 famine, which killed over 257,000 people.

Eight-year-old Ali* and his family were forced to flee their home due to a prolonged drought and conflict. In his new environment, he lost his daily rhythm when he could no longer go to school. The child-friendly space brought security, friends and joy into his life that had long since disappeared.

Fuel prices in Mogadishu surged 150% in March, from $0.60 to $1.50 per litre, with many imported food items doubling in retail price in just two weeks. Somalia's electricity supply, which relies heavily on diesel generators, also saw sharp cost increases, with pressures felt by households as well as schools and hospitals.

One in three people are facing severe food shortages in Somalia as worsening drought, conflict, and soaring food prices drive up hunger levels, with the situation nearly as bad as in 2022 when the country was on the brink of famine.

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