More than 1.8 million children under five are also at risk of acute malnutrition between now and June, according to latest analysis published on Tuesday by the IPC food security monitoring platform (see our UN News explainer on the platform here). 

The worrying development comes after the October to December Deyr season rains failed and crop production fell. Those most impacted are poor farmers, pastoralists, and internally displaced people. 

Drought, displacement, aid shortfalls 

In Somalia, drought, insecurity and conflict in the centre, south and some parts of the north – driven by insurgency, competition over resources and other factors – have displaced people while also disrupting livelihoods and access to markets.  

The situation was further compounded by high local and imported food prices, alongside a reduction in humanitarian assistance. 

The IPC – a UN-backed initiative – uses a scale from one to five to measure the severity of food insecurity that helps governments and humanitarians to classify crises. 

Millions going hungry 

The experts estimated that a staggering 6.5 million Somalis are facing acute food insecurity, or IPC Phase 3 and above, compared to 3.4 million during the first quarter of 2025.  

Over two million are at emergency level, or Phase 4. 

“Most of the pastoral and agropastoral people in northern, central, and southern regions are classified in Phase 3,” they said.  

“These livelihoods face significant food consumption gaps, rising acute malnutrition, and are relying on crisis or emergency coping strategies just to meet basic food needs.”  

The IPC analysis revealed that this year, 1.84 million young children are suffering or will suffer from acute malnutrition, with 483,000 cases of severe acute malnutrition (SAM).  

The condition – also known as severe wasting – is the deadliest form of malnutrition, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). 

Step up action 

Acute food insecurity in Somalia is expected to worsen through March during the dry Jilaal season, the hottest period of the year. 

Forecasts indicate that the Gu rainy season from April to June is likely to be average in most areas of the country which should lead to the gradual restoration of water and pasture resources.  

As a result, the number of people at IPC Phase 3 or above is likely to drop to 5.5 million, “however, acute food insecurity will remain widespread, and the slight improvements will be uneven across livelihood zones.” 

The IPC called for urgent scale-up of lifesaving humanitarian assistance to “hotspot” areas where high levels of acute food insecurity and acute malnutrition intersect. 

Other recommendations include ramping up aid in rural and underserved areas; strengthening coordination to facilitate integrated response combining food security, nutrition, health, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and other sectoral interventions, and improving targeting of humanitarian assistance to ensure it reaches those most in need. 

As of the end of November 2025, there were over 140,000 Burundian refugees in neighbouring Tanzania, who have fled over years of civil unrest in Burundi.

While thousands continue to be “voluntarily repatriated”, an official with the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) says thousands may still need international protection in Tanzania.

Up to 17,000 say they are unable to return over fears for their safety or danger of political persecution. They include members of the political opposition and former military personnel.

“There are increasing concerns from refugees on forced returns and coercive measures,” said UNHCR’s Bahia Egeh, who is based in Tanzania. “We also continue to advocate against any coercive measures for the refugees in the camps.”

Adding to these concerns are reports that during the repatriation process in Tanzania, refugee shelters are being “demolished” and some Burundi refugees are being subject to “mistreatment”, UNHCR revealed on Tuesday. 

UNHCR’s official position on forced repatriations, known as refoulement, is clear and grounded in international refugee law: refugees and asylum-seekers must not be returned to a place where their lives or freedom would be at risk.

History of displacement

Many refugees in Tanzania have been refugees before, fleeing from the Burundian civil war in the 1990s and early 2000s, returning to Burundi, and then fleeing again in 2015 during a period of political unrest.

There are currently two refugee camps in the North-Western Kigoma region of the East African country, Nduta and Nyarugusu, which is the larger of the two. 

Many refugees are seeking to relocate to Nyarugusu after it was announced the Nduta camp is due to close in March.

Ms. Egeh said that the conditions in these camps are “challenging for the refugees” amid a reduction in UNHCR funding that has impacted services. 

UNHCR assisted voluntary returns of around 390,000 refugees from Tanzania between 2002 to 2009, while some 162,000 Burundian nationals were granted Tanzanian citizenship in 2014.

What is happening now?

In 2017, it was deemed safe for Burundian refugees to return home.

UNHCR made a tripartite agreement with the Burundi and Tanzania governments to voluntarily repatriate. Progress was initially good, however the COVID pandemic led to a decrease in repatriations for a few years. 

In recent months, repatriation efforts have been ramped up after a target of 3,000 refugees a week was agreed in late 2025 as part of an updated tripartite agreement. 

In this way, UNHCR shifted from facilitating to promoting and being more vocal with their support for voluntary returns to Burundi.

Uptick in 2026

In the first two months of 2026, more than 28,000 Burundian refugees have returned from Tanzania. 

With 8,000 returning in the past week – well exceedingly the weekly target – the total number of repatriations since the 2017 agreement is now over 180,000 refugees.

However, in a statement on Tuesday, UNHCR expressed concern that during these accelerated efforts “refugee shelters have been demolished, forcing people to take temporary refuge in already overcrowded departure centres and further straining conditions on the ground. Some refugees have also reportedly been subjected to mistreatment.”

© UNHCR/Maimuna Mtengela

A UNHCR staff member talks to a Burundian refugee in Nyarugusu Camp, Tanzania.

Ms. Egeh said “we continue to advocate with the Government to adhere to the tripartite agreement. This was agreed by all three parties that it should be in safety and dignity and respect the protection principles.”

An important part of the tripartite agreement is that people need to be treated with respect – returns must be based on free and informed choice rather than coercion.

To support at risk refugees, Ms Egeth said that UNHCR have a dedicated protection help desk where they can assess the willingness of refugees to return. This will ensure that “people who still need international protection in Tanzania are not part of the convoy that’s going.”

Funding cuts, reduced services

“When I arrived two years ago, there were 10 health facilities. But over the last couple of years, due to funding, due to the decrease in resources coming in, today there are actually two facilities out of the 10 that are open in Nyarugusu camp.” 

According to the statement from UNHCR “Capacity is also severely overstretched in Burundi’s reception and transit centres. Increased return pressures, reduced resources and limited staffing are straining operations on both sides of the border.”

Ms Egeth emphasised that for the refugees, some of whom have been displaced since the 1990s, the most effective way of support is to fund “the resettlement efforts” in Burundi. This will help bring a sustainable return and end the cycle of movement, so people can “start rebuilding their lives” after years of insecurity and uncertainty. 

UNHCR remains committed to protecting refugees who don’t want to go home and supporting refugees that do. 

“We will continue to support the governments of Burundi and Tanzania to uphold their commitments according to the Tripartite arrangements around voluntary repatriation, and particularly in ensuring that refugees and their needs remain front and centre at every step of the repatriation process.”

Russia full-scale invasion of Ukraine of 24 February 2022 was in violation of the UN Charter and international law.  Since then, more than 15,000 civilians have been killed and overall damage is assessed so far at more than $195 billion. 

‘A stain on our collective consciousness’: Guterres 

 “This devastating war is a stain on our collective consciousness, and remains a threat to regional and international peace and security,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said just ahead of the sombre anniversary. 

He warned that “the longer the war continues, the deadlier it becomes,” noting that “civilians bear the brunt of this conflict.”  Last year, 2,514 people were killed – the largest number so far.  He described this as “simply unacceptable.” 

The conflict has brought endless hardship to the population. Older generations still remember the brutal fighting along the eastern front during the Second World War more than 80 years ago, but the current carnage has now lasted longer than what the Soviets referred to as the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. 

The current tragedy in Ukraine is not a monolith. Upon closer inspection, it crumbles into myriad fragments, each reflecting individual grief.  

Some have lost loved ones in the war. Others had their homes bombed, and many who fled the country are unable to return due to the ongoing military operations.             

 A mother’s dream  

The frontline regional capital of Kherson has changed hands twice during the conflict. Sirens sound almost daily throughout the city, warning of shelling. Schools and kindergartens are closed, so parents are taking their children to underground shelters where they can safely learn, play, or even just stay warm amid plunging winter temperatures.  

Victoria and her daughter, Myroslava, 5, attend one of these centres every day. The young mother tried to leave Kherson twice for nearby Mykolaiv but returned because “it’s still easier at home, despite all the difficulties.” 

Victoria works part-time online and receives social benefits; her husband also works. Humanitarian organizations provide the family with essential supplies. “It’s very helpful, and I’m grateful for the support,” she said. 

But she is very angry with politicians: “Nobody wants to end the war, they are not interested in it,” she said. 

Victoria’s greatest dream is for a peaceful future for her daughter – one where “if anything explodes, it won’t be bombs, but fireworks.” 

A woman and child in winter attire stand outside in a snowy urban area in Ukraine.

No escape from winter 

As the central heating in Kherson barely works, Victoria’s family uses a space heater against the freezing temperatures. “But it’s barely warm,” she said. 

The piercing cold is a widespread problem. This winter has been particularly harsh for Ukraine.  

Temperatures are dropping below minus 20 degrees Celsius, and Russian attacks on energy infrastructure are leaving hundreds of thousands of people without heat and electricity. In frontline areas, people report chronic shortages of generators and repair materials. 

 ”Children can’t leave their apartments,” Kenan Madi, head of field operations for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in the country, told UN News.  “But even inside their apartments, the temperature drops to two or three degrees, and there’s no heating. This poses serious risks to their health.” 

Cold numbers, ‘hot’ statistics 

Against the backdrop of a harsh winter, the statistics regarding conflict are equally alarming.   

As of this month, there have been 55,550 confirmed civilian casualties, including 15,378 fatalities, according to the UN human rights office (OHCHR). The actual figures are likely to be significantly higher as access to many frontline and occupied areas has been repeatedly denied. 

The plight of children remains a huge concern. According to UNICEF, more than 3,200 children have been killed or injured since February 2022, with the number of child casualties increasing by 10 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year.  

This marks the third consecutive year that the UN has recorded an increase in the number of child victims of the Russian full-scale invasion. 

Furthermore, some 3.7 million Ukrainians are internally displaced. More than 4.4 million people who fled their homes since the war erupted have returned, including over one million who arrived from abroad. However, not everyone who crossed the border was able to return home – 372,000 people remain internally displaced. 

 Ahead of the fourth anniversary of the war, the UN rights chief reiterated that attacks on civilian infrastructure are prohibited under international humanitarian law.   

“I call on the Russian Federation to immediately cease these attacks,” Volker Türk said following large-scale strikes last week on energy infrastructure across several locations. 

Elderly Ukrainian refugee sits in a theater-turned-shelter amid ongoing war.

‘What kind of life is this?’  

Extended power outages pose a mortal threat to Ukraine’s most vulnerable citizens, including older persons, people with disabilities, and those with chronic illnesses.  

The psychosocial consequences of an energy crisis are no less severe: darkness, isolation, and constant uncertainty exhaust even the most resilient. 

 “Is this life? It can’t be called life when there’s shooting every day,” said 80-year-old Elena, who regularly visits the UN humanitarian hub in Kherson to receive aid.  

“A year ago, I buried my son and his wife. The house is destroyed, everything is broken. What kind of life is this?”   

 Elena said that without humanitarian aid, many here wouldn’t have survived: “The pension is small. What are we supposed to live on? My son is gone, the others have left…They even give us lunches. They give us bread, they give us medicine. God bless them for helping!” 

Hopes for peace 

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, travels extensively throughout the country.  Given everything that is happening, the population’s fatigue is noticeably growing – and this, he said, is understandable.      

He has met people who admit that they’re tired but will not give up.  “Let’s honour this strength,” he said,

Mr. Schmale insisted that the most important thing is that this year actually brings peace and an end to the suffering of the people of Ukraine. 

“We want to see that the fifth year (of war) will bring a ceasefire, and lasting peace with dignity,” he said.