Fighting Back Against Hunger

Watching your child suffer is every parent's worst nightmare. Hamdi recalls: "I was so sad. My child was so sick, and I was feeling very depressed, I didn’t know what I was doing."

A simple cure

Hamdi remembers the kindness of the nurses who welcomed them to the centre. They gave Abshir life-saving treatment - medicine, special milk formula and high-nutrient peanut paste - that saved his life.

Within hours of treatment, children with acute malnutrition can start to feel their energy levels pick up.

“He was unable to stand but now he can stand upright," Hamdi explained. “When I see my child smiling and eating something I become excited.”

After spending a week at the centre, Abshir was well enough to return home to his family.

Meet healthcare hero Fadumo

This is Fadumo. She's one of the nurses at the centre where Abshir was treated. 

Fadumo has been working at a Save the Children supported hospital for five years. She is knowledgeable and attends to children with warmth.

The hospital is in the middle of a bustling town. Once you enter the gates, everything is calm. The walls are cream and mint green. Inside smells of soap.

There are two rooms for treating children with acute malnutrition. The room at the front of the hospital is for children who are on the mend. The room behind it is for children who have just been admitted. Beds are dotted around the rooms, with comfortable throws in colourful patterns.

Fadumo says: "The children we treat often don't have enough food. When they don't get enough to eat, they suffer from malnutrition. Young children do not have strong immune systems and their bodies need energy to grow quickly."

A triple threat to children's futures

Families in Somalia are facing a prolonged drought. It doesn't rain anymore. That means crops die and animals can’t graze. When the animals are gone, there is no meat and no milk.  

In addition, the war in Ukraine has caused a global shortage of grain, making food more expensive. This - coupled with the lingering impact of the pandemic - is causing crisis levels of child hunger in Somalia.

The road to recovery

On average, children spend ten days at the hospital. Often, their parent or guardian will stay with them.

Staff provide three hot meals a day - this includes chicken, rice, vegetables and fruit. This is particularly important for breastfeeding mothers. 

Fadumo says: "Once children get a little better, they start to sit up. Once they get a lot better, they start laughing and playing!

"With Save the Children's support, we give the children toy cars and colourful building bricks. Even the food is paid for by Save the Children."

Outside of the hospital, there is more support for children. This includes a safe space for children in the nearby camp. Many families living here lost their animals and traditional way of life due to the drought.

These spaces are really important so children can learn and play.

Fadumo says: "I am proud of my work. It is my hope, it is my passion. I care for the very young children who are impacted by malnutrition. They are often children who are often born to into poor families; to work for them, it makes me proud indeed.

"It is very difficult to watch a kid who has been in a critical condition. When they are happy again and when they leave the hospital, it is very beautiful. You feel the outcome of what you have done."

*Names changed to keep children and their families safe