# UNICEF in Somalia: what it does

> What UNICEF does in Somalia: its offices, staff and partners, who leads it, the funding it receives, and what it reports about child malnutrition in 2026.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/institutions/unicef-somalia/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## What it does

UNICEF says it opened its first office in Mogadishu in 1972. It now has more than 300 staff working in Mogadishu, Baidoa, Dollow, Garowe and Hargeisa, with a support office in Nairobi, Kenya ([UNICEF Somalia](https://www.unicef.org/somalia/about-us)).

It says it works with about 200 international and national NGOs and community groups to deliver services in five areas: health, nutrition, water and sanitation (WASH), education and child protection. It also responds to emergencies and supports peace-building and development ([UNICEF Somalia](https://www.unicef.org/somalia/about-us)).

## Who leads it

Sandra Lattouf is the UNICEF Representative in Somalia ([UNICEF Somalia](https://www.unicef.org/somalia/about-us)). She spoke for UNICEF in a joint UN statement on hunger in May 2026 ([UN Somalia, 15 May 2026](https://somalia.un.org/en/316125-un-agencies-warn-worsening-hunger-and-malnutrition-crisis-somalia-famine-risk-emerges)).

## The money

OCHA's Financial Tracking Service (FTS) records humanitarian funding that donors and agencies report to it. It is not the whole budget of an organisation, and recent years are still being filled in. FTS lists these amounts received by UNICEF for work in Somalia ([OCHA FTS](https://fts.unocha.org/countries/206/summary/2025)):

| Year | Humanitarian funding recorded (US$) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 55.3 million |
| 2025 | 25.2 million |
| 2026, to November | 13.8 million |

The same figures for 212 organisations are on [this site's aid funding list](/en/institutions/aid-organisations-funding-2024-2026/).

## What it reports

In a joint statement on 15 May 2026, UNICEF, WFP and FAO said that about 1.9 million children in Somalia were acutely malnourished, including 493,000 with severe acute malnutrition. They said that in [Burhakaba](/en/regions/bay/) district nearly 40% of children under five were acutely malnourished, and that more than 500 health and nutrition facilities had closed for lack of funding ([UN Somalia, 15 May 2026](https://somalia.un.org/en/316125-un-agencies-warn-worsening-hunger-and-malnutrition-crisis-somalia-famine-risk-emerges)).

## How the work is shared

UNICEF works through the federal [Ministry of Health](/en/institutions/ministry-of-health/) and [Ministry of Education](/en/institutions/ministry-of-education/), state ministries, and NGO partners who run many of the clinics and feeding centres. The wider UN set-up is on the [international bodies page](/en/institutions/international-bodies-in-somalia/).

## How to use it

UNICEF Somalia publishes press releases, situation reports and research on its website ([UNICEF Somalia](https://www.unicef.org/somalia/)). Funding figures for UNICEF and other agencies can be checked on OCHA's FTS ([OCHA FTS](https://fts.unocha.org/countries/206/summary/2025)).

---
I want to help with this: email hello@calankii.com. Fix this page: email hello@calankii.com with the page link and your source.