Somalia is grappling with a severe and under-addressed mental health crisis. Decades of conflict, poverty, drought, gender-based violence, and political instability have left deep psychological scars on the population. A 2010 WHO study identified Somalia as one of the countries with the highest prevalence of mental illness globally, and the situation has only worsened with COVID-19, famine threats, and insecurity. The country’s fragile healthcare system is ill-equipped to meet mental health needs. With most trained professionals having fled or died, unregulated "Ilaaj" centers run by traditional healers dominate, often providing abusive and non-clinical treatment. Stigma remains a major barrier, as many view mental illness as shameful or non-existent. This leads individuals to suffer in silence or resort to substance abuse.