From relief to development: the power of nutrition

By Dr. Mohamed Abdi Farah, SUN Focal Point, Office of the Prime Minister, Federal Republic of Somalia

Malnutrition is not just a consequence of crises. It is a driver of fragility, a barrier to recovery, and a threat to peace. Yet in many of the world’s most vulnerable settings, it remains underprioritized and underfunded.

Good nutrition is foundational to resilience. It strengthens individuals, communities and systems, enabling people not just to survive crises but to recover and rebuild. By investing in nutrition we can bridge the gap between immediate relief and long-term development goals-laying the groundwork for more sustainable, inclusive, and effective responses in fragile and crisis-affected settings. 

This week’s ECOSOC 2025 Humanitarian Affairs Segment and the ECOSOC Meeting on the Transition from Relief to Development comes at a moment when the international community must face a hard truth: humanitarian crises are lasting longer, occurring more frequently, and overlapping in ways that leave millions of people trapped in cycles of dependency. Addressing these challenges means rethinking the way we respond, and placing nutrition at the heart of that transition. 

Underlining the scale of the problem, just this week, the latest Hunger Hotspots report warns that five countries (Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, Palestine, and Haiti) are facing the highest risk of famine or already enduring catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity. Other hotspots of concern include Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Syria, Chad, and Somalia - the majority of which are SUN Movement countries.

More than half of all countries classified fragile and conflict-affected are part of the SUN Movement. 92% of countries experiencing severe levels of food insecurity are also part of the Movement which works to address all forms of malnutrition, in its 67 member states. 

These numbers underscore both the scale of the challenge and the determination of countries on the front lines to act. Even amid crises, governments, civil society alliances, donors, the private sector and UN agencies are working through SUN to prioritize nutrition as a lifeline and foundation for recovery. They are driving forward national plans, strengthening systems, and leading efforts to ensure that nutrition is not an afterthought.

Why is this so critical now? In Somalia alone, 4.6 million people (almost a quarter of the population) are projected to face crisis-level food insecurity or worse between April and June 2025. At least 1.8 million children under five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition this year.

And yet, nutrition continues to receive a fraction of the investment required—especially in the very contexts where it is most urgently needed. In light of recent cuts to spending on overseas development aid, it is all the more important to prioritize this critical intervention.

That is why the SUN Movement’s role is so critical. In fragile contexts, SUN helps build the bridge between relief and development, connecting national governments with development donors, humanitarian actors, and technical partners. The Movement’s multi-stakeholder model strengthens coordination, facilitates peer-to-peer learning, and promotes a whole-of-society approach to nutrition. 

With support from the SUN Movement Secretariat, we recently co-hosted a workshop that brought together regional bodies and national stakeholders to move Somalia’s National Pathways for Resilient and Sustainable Food Systems from plan to practice. Together, we agreed on clear, measurable goals, completed a risk assessment, mapped current programmes for better alignment, and assessed how humanitarian, development, and peace efforts are coordinated across all levels. 

This collaborative, country-led approach ensures that nutrition is no longer treated as a stand-alone sector, but as a driving force behind Somalia’s capacity to withstand shocks, recover from crises, and build a more sustainable and peaceful future.

If we are to make real progress in the transition from relief to development, nutrition must be firmly embedded in the global development agenda. But that requires sustained political commitment and predictable, long-term financing for nutrition in fragile settings.

Humanitarian and development partners share a responsibility to support fragile countries with integrated, locally led nutrition responses that build resilience, reduce dependency, help withstand shocks, strengthen social cohesion, and prevent future crises.  Investing in nutrition is not only life-saving: it’s essential to rebuilding futures