Somalia's Healthcare System on Brink of Collapse
A desperate journey to save his severely malnourished three-year-old son forced farmer Yusuf Bulle to travel from rural southern Somalia to the capital Mogadishu, where Banadir Hospital offered the only available treatment. After fifteen days of intensive care, doctors declared the child out of danger. "Where I come from, there is no hospital," Bulle explained, highlighting the stark reality for millions of Somalis.
Devastating Impact of Foreign Aid Withdrawal
One of the world's poorest nations faces an escalating healthcare catastrophe worsened significantly by the Trump administration's decision to dismantle the United States Agency for International Development earlier this year. Somalia's deputy health minister, Mohamed Hassan Bulaale, confirmed to The Associated Press that over 6,000 health workers lost their jobs while up to 2,000 medical facilities suffered operational impacts.
The Center for Global Development had previously identified Somalia as among countries most vulnerable to donor withdrawal. This prediction has become reality as the country's health ministry received just $91 million from a national budget exceeding $1 billion, with most funding tied to externally backed projects.
Mahad Wasuge of the Somali Public Agenda think tank noted that while this represents improvement from last year's $52 million allocation, almost all increases came from donors. "Security remains the first priority for Somali authorities," Wasuge stated, despite major setbacks in foreign support from key benefactors including both the United States and Britain.
Hospitals Struggling to Maintain Basic Services
At Banadir Hospital, constructed with Chinese support in 1977, expectations of government assistance remain minimal. The malnutrition unit caring for children like Bulle's son depends entirely on donor funds channeled through Concern Worldwide. Unit supervisor Dr Mohamed Haashi revealed that 37 unit staff members lost their jobs following US aid cuts, with only thirteen salaries currently covered by the humanitarian group.
The situation appears equally dire at De Martino Hospital, established by Italian colonialists in 1922. Director Dr Abdirahim Omar Amin expressed concern about what will happen when contracts with two humanitarian groups expire at the end of 2025. The hospital currently treats dozens of children suffering from diphtheria, a vaccine-preventable disease now spreading through rural areas where parents fear militant attacks when seeking routine vaccinations.
"Now it looks like donors are fatigued," Amin commented while showing medical laboratory equipment entirely funded by donors. Most services remain free thanks to funding from the International Rescue Committee and Population Services International, though patients with non-urgent conditions must contribute towards costs.
Deputy health minister Bulaale mentioned the government is working with partners to develop contingency plans following USAID funding loss, though provided no specific details. The federal government, based in a heavily fortified Mogadishu area near the airport, continues focusing resources on defeating al-Shabab militants despite recent reductions in bomb and gun attack frequency and intensity.
Mohamed Adam Dini, representing Somalia's Puntland state in the national assembly, described government priorities as "deficient" due to overwhelming focus on ending anarchy. "There is no national health care plan, as we don't have a national political plan," Dini stated, noting that numerous diseases spread unchecked across the country.
For many Somalis like jobless mother Amina Abdulkadir Mohamed, who recently gave birth at De Martino Hospital, these facilities represent the only accessible healthcare. "I was told there is free medication," she said, explaining her choice to travel to the hospital.
As international donor fatigue grows and domestic resources remain prioritised for security, Somalia's most vulnerable citizens continue bearing the devastating consequences of a healthcare system hanging by a thread.
