Blast near Baidoa District Hospital injures staff and patients and damages critical facilities

Baidoa, Somalia, 28 September 2026 – A blast near Baidoa District Hospital this morning has injured medical staff, patients and caretakers and caused significant damage to critical hospital facilities, including the hospital structure, security gate, water facilities and an ambulance.

The hospital, supported by SOS Children’s Villages, has been severely affected by the blast. The explosion, reportedly caused by a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (SVBIED), caused significant damage to the maternity ward, outpatient department (OPD), waiting area, and consultation area, with parts of the roofs destroyed, leaving patients and medical staff trapped inside.

Despite the damage, our health teams continued to provide urgent medical care to people arriving at the hospital with injuries. Long queues of injured patients were reported around midday, with patients requiring critical care being referred to other health facilities where necessary.

“Today’s explosion has caused severe damage to our hospital and injured patients, healthcare workers and caretakers. A mortar also struck the home of one of our community health workers (CHW), who later succumbed to his injuries. This occurred at a time when the hospital is operating under significant pressure from the ongoing malnutrition crisis, including caring for severely malnourished children receiving critical treatment,” said Abdikadir Dakane, National Director of SOS Children’s Villages in Somalia.

“We condemn attacks on humanitarian workers and facilities, including hospitals, schools and distribution sites,” Mr Dakane continued. “We urge all sides to exercise caution, respect human rights and protect civilians, especially at a time when a famine-like situation has been declared in the region, and to ensure that people in need of medical care can reach hospitals safely and without obstruction. ”

SOS Children's Villages remains committed to supporting affected communities, but we need a safe space to provide meaningful assistance and guarantee minimum safety standards for our staff and patients.

“Our staff tell us they are afraid to be in the hospital. With no reinforced shelter to protect them from shelling and blasts, they are left feeling exposed during attacks. A hospital should be a place of safety and care, not a place where staff and patients fear for their lives.”

SOS Children's Villages has been working in Somalia since 1985, supporting children and young people without parental care while strengthening families and communities. In 2025, we reached 1.8 million people with life-saving health, nutrition, education, WASH, sustainable livelihoods, and child protection services across five regions of the country.

FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT:

SOS Children's Villages Somalia 

Dahir Abdullahi, Communications and Advocacy Manager 

Email: dahir.abdullahi@sossomalia.org; Phone: +252 612654436 

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