A stark crisis has emerged in Somalia, as “the combined number of 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,” Save the Children reports.

According to the organisation, “since April cases of measles, diphtheria, whooping cough, cholera and severe respiratory infections have doubled from about 22,600 to over 46,000,” with “children under five representing around 60 percent of cases.”

The Ministry of Health recently recorded “at least 357 new suspected cases of measles, diphtheria or cholera - all of which can be prevented by vaccines , were reported among under‑fives in the past week alone.” So far this year, Somalia has logged 6,267 suspected cases of cholera, of which 60 percent (3,739) occurred in children under five.

At least eight people have died from cholera, including five children in that age group.

The measles outbreak has disproportionately affected the youngest children: “the youngest children accounting for an estimated 75 % of 5,436 reported cases.”

Save the Children linked the sharp rise in vaccine‑preventable diseases to recent aid cuts, stressing that “the recent aid cuts … have impacted the health system’s capacity to deliver essential services, including routine immunization, and to treat and run catch‑up campaigns to increase the immunity necessary to halt the outbreak.”

The organisation further warned: “these outbreaks are compounding existing humanitarian challenges, such as malnutrition, overcrowding in camps for displaced people, and limited access to healthcare. Overstretched health facilities, misinformation, and stigma regarding some healthcare are further exacerbating the crisis.”

Highlighting the collateral impact from broader aid reductions, the press release noted: “In May, Save the Children reported that at least 55,000 children supported by the aid agency in Somalia will lose access to lifesaving nutrition services, as aid cuts have forced about 47, or one‑third, of Save the Children‑supported nutrition services to close.” The same clinics also provided immunization and other health services, and their closure has deprived many families of critical care.

Save the Children’s Country Director for Somalia, Mohamud Mohamed Hassan, issued a dire warning: “The neglect of the health system in Somalia due to aid cuts is directly impacting children. Already, children have died of diseases we have treated and kept at bay in the past.”
“Unless the aid cuts are reversed and more resources are put in place to support the health system, we are worried the situation will rapidly deteriorate, placing immense strain on vulnerable communities, particularly children under five.”

The release also expressed serious concern regarding respiratory illnesses: “Equally alarming is the spread of a SARI (severe acute respiratory infections) and influenza‑like illness. Due to limited laboratory capacity, the country is currently unable to identify the specific viral agent responsible for this respiratory outbreak, which further complicates the response.”

Looking ahead, Save the Children cautioned that the situation is set to worsen amid broader global aid reductions. They noted that countries in Africa are expected to be hardest hit by projected “a drop of between 9–17 % in official development assistance (ODA) in 2025 – the third consecutive year of decline.”