The funds will be directed towards integrated health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), education, child protection, and social protection programs, UNICEF said. “This funding appeal is 10 percent less than the 2024 appeal, due to a decrease in the target that is consistent with the downward trend in the number of people in need,” the agency noted. The shift reflects a strategic focus on longer-term, resilience-based, and high-impact interventions.

UNICEF emphasized its commitment to enhancing program integration and addressing cross-sectoral priorities, including gender equality, disability inclusion, and resilience-building measures. Preventing aid diversion remains a key priority for the organization.

The agency plans to use the funds to deliver integrated, multisectoral services and expand access to remote and underserved regions. The assistance comes at a critical time for Somalia, where the combined effects of climate change, disease outbreaks, and poverty have left millions in need. Despite greater stability in certain areas, ongoing conflicts continue to displace populations and limit access to essential services.

UNICEF highlighted that 6.9 million people, including 4.3 million children, will require humanitarian assistance in 2025. Poor rainfall, exacerbated by the La Niña weather pattern, is expected to deepen the food crisis, increasing the number of people facing acute food insecurity from 3.6 million to 4.4 million by December.

Moreover, the number of children under five at risk of wasting could climb to 1.6 million by mid-2025, with 403,000 projected to be severely affected. “Combined with conflict and disease outbreaks, about 6.9 million people—including 4.3 million children, 1.1 million women, and 310,000 individuals with disabilities—require urgent humanitarian aid in 2025,” UNICEF warned.

UNICEF’s appeal underscores the pressing need for international support to address Somalia’s multifaceted humanitarian challenges and build long-term resilience. (ILKHA)