More Than 80% of Somali Children Lack Access to Basic Services, New Report Finds

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: More than 80 per cent of Somali children aged between five and 17 years lack access to at least two essential services such as education, sanitation, adequate housing, nutrition, clean water or information, according to a new report launched by the Somalia National Bureau of Statistics (SNBS) and UNICEF.
The report, titled Multidimensional Child Poverty and Deprivation Analysis, also found that nearly 70 per cent of children under the age of five face multiple shortages in basic services critical to their wellbeing and development.
Based on data from the 2022 Somalia Integrated Household Budget Survey, the study paints a stark picture of the challenges facing Somali children, showing that poverty extends beyond household income and is often reflected in limited access to essential services.
Among the report’s most striking findings is the extent to which children experience multiple hardships simultaneously. Nearly 40 per cent of children under five years old are deprived of adequate sanitation, housing and nutrition at the same time. Among children aged between five and 17 years, about 37 per cent face overlapping shortages in sanitation, housing and education.
Launching the report in Mogadishu on Thursday, SNBS Director General Dr. Abdisalam Abdirahman Mohamed said the findings provide important evidence for policymakers and development partners seeking to improve the lives of Somali children.
“Children represent Somalia’s future human capital and the foundation of the country’s long-term development,” he said. “This analysis provides important evidence to strengthen understanding of the challenges affecting children and to support more informed policy decisions, targeted investments and effective service delivery.”
The report identifies inadequate housing and poor sanitation as some of the most widespread challenges affecting children across Somalia. It also highlights significant disparities between urban and rural areas, with children in rural and nomadic communities experiencing higher levels of hardship, particularly in housing, sanitation and education.
UNICEF Somalia Representative Sandra Lattouf said the findings offer valuable guidance for strengthening programmes aimed at improving children’s welfare.
“Understanding where and how deprivations overlap helps inform more coordinated interventions and supports efforts to improve outcomes for children across sectors,” she said.
The analysis was conducted using UNICEF’s Multiple Overlapping Deprivation Analysis (MODA) methodology, an internationally recognised approach for measuring multidimensional child poverty.
The report is expected to help inform national development priorities under Somalia’s Vision 2060 agenda and the National Transformation Plan (2025–2029), while providing evidence to guide investments in education, health, nutrition, water and sanitation services for some of the country’s most vulnerable children.