Extremely Critical acute malnutrition (IPC AMN Phase 5) is confirmed in Mandera, North Horr/Chalbi (Marsabit), and Turkana South and East in Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs). Laisamis is projected to deteriorate to IPC AMN Phase 5 by March-June 2026. IPC AMN Phase 5, the most severe and life-threatening level of acute malnutrition, means at least one in three children is acutely malnourished, with a very high risk of death, amid widespread outbreaks of dysentery, cholera, acute watery diarrhoea, and measles.  

Around 810,871 cases of acutely malnourished children aged 6–59 months who require treatment throughout 2026 are confirmed, with 62 percent of cases in the ASAL counties. This is a significant deterioration compared to the 2025 analysis period where 760,488 children suffered acute malnutrition. Similarly, the number of pregnant and breastfeeding women requiring nutritional support has risen from 112,401 to 116,796. An urgent, large-scale, multisectoral response is required to prevent further deaths. 

The deterioration in acute malnutrition is linked to prolonged drought, poor dietary diversity, low milk availability, and a high disease burden—including outbreaks of cholera, measles, mpox, and kalaazar—combined with weakened health and nutrition services due to reduced humanitarian funding. 

• Procurement of Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) commodities.
• Heightened Nutrition surveillance, situation monitoring and coordination.
• Nutrition response planning and resource mobilisation.
• Hotspot mapping and prioritization of outreach sites.
• Scale up of integrated health and nutrition outreaches and mass screening.
• Invest in Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) strategies to improve infant & young child feeding (IYCF), maternal nutrition & WASH practices.
• Initiate and scale up community-based approaches to address poor dietary intake among children 6 to 23 months.
• Sustain disease Surveillance and response to outbreaks.
• Advocate for counties to finance data and surveillance activities to allow for comprehensive nutrition situation analysis.
• Implement multisectoral responses.