Topic: 2026 – Combating Malnutrition
Country: Somalia
Delegate Name: Sylvia Duncan
Distinguished Delegates and Honorable Chair, Malnutrition is a violation of children’s rights and half of all child deaths are linked to lack of proper nutrition. Malnutrition continues to affect many children around the world, in particular children from developing countries from places such as Southern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.The UN general assembly extended the “United Nations Decade act on action” originally meant to last until 2025 to now lasting until 2030[5-WHO]. While this is good for the UN, it is important to also focus on specific countries and areas as well as looking at everyone as a hole. Malnutrition is something that should not be ignored and can be solved with the help of all the countries in UNICEF to make good decisions on how to best solve this issue.
Somalia has a huge problem with malnutrition: an estimate of 1.5 million children are at risk of life threatening levels of malnutrition which is a lot for only a population of 16 million people[2-OWID]. UNICEF has done many things in Somalia in the past that have positively benefited the company. UNICEF has active nutrition programs in 70 of the 74 districts in Somalia, with services at 1,000 nutrition facilities which includes 400 mobile units. Somalia has massive problems with malnutrition and these programs sponsored by UNICEF help greatly[1-WHO]. On the topic of malnutrition, Mohammad Mohamed Hassan, County director for save children in Somalia said “ Children are arriving at health centers in critical condition as families survive on just one meal a day.” also that “Families are arriving at the camp with nothing -no food, no animals and not even basic household tools”[4-STC]. Nearly half of the children 5 years old and younger could face acute malnutrition in Somalia due funding cuts that reduce the health and nutrition services across the country.
The delegation of Somalia calls the international community to mobilize resources to restore and expand nutrition, health, and water services especially with the high amount of budget cuts that many countries rely on for resources[3-UWFP]. Solutions for Eliminating children malnutrition include educating mothers on how to adequately feed their children and micronutrient supplements and vitamins to pregnant women and young children[4-STC]. Another solution is to train caregivers to screen children for malnutrition which would support early detection giving the best chances for a full recovery.
Somalia is ready to collaborate with other delegates to help find the best creative and long term solutions to help fight this massive problem that is affecting millions worldwide.
Works Cited
“Fact Sheets – Malnutrition.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 1 Mar. 2024, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malnutrition.
Ritchie, Hannah. “Half of All Child Deaths Are Linked to Malnutrition.” Our World in Data, 9 Sept. 2024, ourworldindata.org/half-child-deaths-linked-malnutrition.
“Millions in Somalia at Risk of Worsening Hunger as WFP Faces Critical Funding Shortfall: World Food Programme.” UN World Food Programme, www.wfp.org/news/millions-somalia-risk-worsening-hunger-wfp-faces-critical-funding-shortfall. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
“Save the Children | Nearly Half of Somalia’s Youngest Children at Risk of Malnutrition.” Save the Children , 2025, www.savethechildren.org/us/about-us/media-and-news/2025-press-releases/somalia-youngest-children-at-risk-malnutrition.
“United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016–2025) Extended to 2030.” World Health Organization, 26 Mar. 2025, www.who.int/news/item/26-03-2025-united-nations-decade-of-action-on-nutrition-(2016-2025)-extended-to-2030.
