Somalia Appeal

Due to La Niña conditions, Somalia faces a potential drought with a high probability of below-average and late rainfall in 2024. Combined with conflict and disease outbreaks, about 6.9 million people, including 4.3 million children, 1.1 million women and 310,000 people with disabilities, require urgent humanitarian aid in 2025. Expected rainfall shortages could worsen the food crisis, affecting up to 4.4 million people.

Furthermore, through July 2025 around 1.6 million children under five are at risk of wasting, with 403,000 likely to experience severe wasting. These figures are a 14 per cent and 21 per cent rise in global acute malnutrition and severe wasting, respectively, compared with the same period last year.

The escalation of Somalia's displacement crisis is evidenced by the 342,221 people newly displaced in 2024 (165,000 displaced due to insecurity), who have joined the existing 3.8 million people in protracted displacement. This expansion of the displaced population further complicates the implementation of durable solutions for forced migrants, particularly in urban centres. 

Since January 2024, 18,440 suspected cholera cases have been reported in Somalia, with 138 deaths. With approximately 1.5 million children under age 5 unvaccinated or undervaccinated, the risk of outbreaks from such vaccine-preventable diseases as measles remains high. 

Security operations against Al-Shabaab and the transition of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia may lead to heightened insecurity and instability, complicate humanitarian access and increase the risk of grave violations against children (including killing and maiming of children; recruitment or use of children by parties to conflict; attacks on education or health services; rape or other grave sexual violence; abduction of children; and denial of humanitarian access for children). Between January and September 2024, 1,930 grave violations were officially recorded, impacting 1,478 children (1,057 boys, 421 girls) across Somalia. The various parties to the conflict may intensify targeted attacks, which could result in additional civilian displacement. 

Too many children in Somalia lack access to schools, with the Education Cluster estimating 4.9 million children out of school. Inequities are also widespread. School attendance rates for newly displaced children are as low as 21 per cent, compared with 39 per cent for children who are not displaced. Children with disabilities face additional educational barriers, including a lack of awareness of their needs, lack of specialized teachers and the absence of supportive classroom assistance and appropriate infrastructure.

In Somalia, UNICEF collaborates with the government, civil society organizations, United Nations agencies and the private sector, both federally and subnationallly, to provide essential social services to the most vulnerable children, adolescents and women. UNICEF remains committed to playing a strong role in coordinating humanitarian responses in Somalia. 

UNICEF leads the Nutrition Cluster with World Food Programme, the WASH Cluster with Polish Humanitarian Action and the Child Protection Area of Responsibility and Education Cluster with Save the Children. Following inter-cluster coordination guidelines, UNICEF aids in coordinating efforts at all levels, including area-based coordination strategies. Moreover, UNICEF co-leads the country task force on monitoring and reporting of grave violations against children, with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia. 

UNICEF delivers decentralized programmes via its three field officesand five hubs. To prevent aid diversion, UNICEF will prioritize vulnerable geographic areas and refine beneficiary targeting and selection processes. UNICEF also employs an eight-pillar plan to prevent aid diversion, including digitized last-mile supply monitoring and beneficiary registration. 

Furthermore, UNICEF will scale up the delivery of integrated services in priority districts towards longer-term, more resilience-focused and high-impact interventions.

In 2025, UNICEF will strengthen its partnerships with local organizations to enhance the humanitarian response for children, focusing on gender-based violence protection and prioritizing vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities. Efforts on gender equality, conflict sensitivity and community resilience to climate change will be included in both analyses and programme designs. Whenever possible, UNICEF will create sustainable services through development efforts. 

UNICEF began using GeoSight, an open geospatial information system, in 2024. In 2025, UNICEF aims to expand the use of such GIS-enabled evidence for more informed decision-making. 

UNICEF continues delivering health, nutrition and WASH interventions amid strained public services. This includes providing nutritional support for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers; improving access to health, water and sanitation services; and providing humanitarian cash transfers linked with WASH, health and nutrition services. UNICEF also plans to strengthen child protection interventions, including case management, psychosocial support, response to gender-based violence and reintegration support for children released from or fleeing armed groups. A sustained focus will be on providing education in emergencies, creating opportunities for children with and without disabilities (including establishing safe learning spaces), providing teaching and learning materials and employing cash-based interventions. 

UNICEF maintains U-Report as a platform for community engagement. Upholding the principles of accountability to affected populations, UNICEF offers clear channels for complaints and will leverage feedback to refine programme designs.