In April 2023, mothers formed a physical queue at Gargar Health Centre in Garowe, northeastern Somalia, while their children waited for nutrition screening. UNICEF's account follows Laki Mohamed, who walked two kilometres carrying her nine-month-old daughter, Nadira. At the front of the line, health workers measured height and weight and checked children for signs of malnutrition.
Nadira was diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition and enrolled for treatment with therapeutic food. For the mothers in line, waiting was the ordered route to diagnosis and care. Even amid the continuing effects of drought and food insecurity, the clinic maintained the ordinary but vital sequence of measuring, recording, and connecting each child with the treatment required.