DOLLOW, Somalia — Somalia is confronting a severe child malnutrition crisis as drought, ongoing conflict, and disrupted aid supplies combine to threaten millions of lives across the Horn of Africa nation.

Nearly 1.84 million children under age 5 are expected to suffer acute malnutrition in 2026, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a global hunger monitoring group. The Somali government warned last month that 6.5 million people out of the country's population of more than 20 million face severe hunger.

At the Ladan displacement camp in Dollow, which houses about 4,500 households, families who fled drought after four failed rain seasons struggle for basic survival. The camp's makeshift shelters of plastic sheets and torn fabric stretch across dusty outskirts, where mothers care for severely malnourished children, many too weak to cry.

Hospitals report receiving children in increasingly critical condition. At Dollow hospital, nutrition coordinator Liban Roble said facilities that once treated mainly moderate cases now see children who are "severely malnourished, weak, and in some cases almost skeletal." Medical supplies are expected to run out by the end of April.

The crisis has been compounded by multiple factors affecting aid delivery. UNICEF reports having $15.7 million worth of lifesaving supplies in transit or being prepared for Somalia, but shipments face uncertainty with transport costs potentially rising 30% to 60%. Additionally, more than 400 health and nutrition facilities have closed over the past year across Somalia, primarily due to funding cuts, leaving many communities without access to support.

Somalia's humanitarian crisis unfolds against the backdrop of the government's ongoing war against the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab militant group, as authorities fight to reclaim territory from the extremists while addressing the country's severe food security challenges.