International bodies in Somalia
UNICEF in Somalia: what it does
UNICEF, the UN children's agency, has worked in Somalia since 1972 and says it has more than 300 staff and about 200 partner organisations. It works on children's health, nutrition, water, schools and child protection. Sandra Lattouf is its Representative.
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).
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).
Who leads it
Sandra Lattouf is the UNICEF Representative in Somalia (UNICEF Somalia). She spoke for UNICEF in a joint UN statement on hunger in May 2026 (UN Somalia, 15 May 2026).
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):
| 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.
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 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).
How the work is shared
UNICEF works through the federal Ministry of Health and 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.
How to use it
UNICEF Somalia publishes press releases, situation reports and research on its website (UNICEF Somalia). Funding figures for UNICEF and other agencies can be checked on OCHA's FTS (OCHA FTS).
Sources
- UNICEF Somalia · unicef.org
- UN Somalia, 15 May 2026 · somalia.un.org
- OCHA FTS · fts.unocha.org
- UNICEF Somalia · unicef.org
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Where this matters
Same era
- Australia18,401 people of Somali ancestry and 8,101 born in Somalia lived in Australia at the 2021 Census, more than half in Victoria. History, work, issues.
- Birmingham (Somali diaspora)About 17,000 to 21,600 Somalis live in Birmingham (Census 2021), mostly in Nechells, Newtown, Small Heath and Alum Rock. History, work, health and ties home.
- Bristol (Somali diaspora)9,167 people in Bristol identified as Somali or Somalilander in Census 2021, the city's largest minority group. Where they live, work, housing, leaders and ties home.
- Calgary, Alberta, Canada2,845 people of Somali origin lived in Calgary at the 2021 Census, plus 890 in Brooks. How they came, who serves them and what they face.
- Denmark (Somali diaspora)21,885 people of Somali origin lived in Denmark in 2026, half born there. Numbers, history, work, permit reviews, and ties home.
- DjiboutiAbout 13,900 refugees from Somalia live in Djibouti (Aug 2026): numbers since 1990, Ali Addeh, Holl-Holl, the 2017 refugee law, Arta 2000 and 2025 returns.
Keep reading
- Every aid organisation funded in Somalia, 2024 to 2026: UN agencies and NGOs by money receivedA directory of every UN agency, international NGO, Somali NGO and other body recorded as receiving humanitarian funding for Somalia in 2024, 2025 and 2026, with the amounts from the UN Financial Tracking Service and a CSV download.
- International bodies in Somalia: the UN, the African Union, the World Bank and the IMFWhich international bodies work in Somalia, what each does, how the UN presence changed in 2024 to 2026, and Somalia's own seats in world bodies.
- World Food Programme (WFP) in Somalia: what it doesWhat the World Food Programme does in Somalia: food and cash aid, Baxnaano, school meals, UNHAS flights; who leads it; funding 2024 to 2026; and what it reports about hunger in 2026.
- FAO in Somalia: farming, livestock, fisheries and the FSNAU and SWALIM data unitsWhat FAO does in Somalia: staff, offices and projects, who leads it, funding 2024 to 2026, and what it reports doing in 2026.
- OCHA in Somalia and the Somalia Humanitarian FundWhat OCHA does in Somalia: coordination, the 2026 aid plan, the Somalia Humanitarian Fund, who leads it, and its funding 2024 to 2026.
- World Health Organization (WHO) in Somalia: what it doesWhat WHO does in Somalia: health system support, vaccines and outbreaks, who leads it, its funding 2024 to 2026, and what it reports doing in 2026.