Description of the crisis

The Hunger Crisis, like other crises and disasters, has exacerbated pre-existing inequalities, discriminations and violence which pose critical protection risks, especially to those most vulnerable and at high risk, including but not limited to women, children, people with disabilities, elderly, single or child-headed household.

Across the region, millions of people are living in poverty and facing multiple daily threats to their food security. An estimated 146 million people are facing crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa. Climatic shocks, such as prolonged drought and recurrent flooding, conflict, desert locusts, and economic downturns, exacerbated by the effects of COVID-19, have combined to hit communities hard. The impact of global drivers is compounding the effect of pre-existing deep-rooted local drivers such as poverty and marginalisation.

Warnings about the hunger crisis in Africa were issued over a year ago by African Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies who have launched emergency appeals. So far, 17 National Societies have responded with limited resources, but more funding is needed to scale up the response. The IFRC must increase life-saving aid to those facing acute food insecurity and address the root causes of the crisis with longer-term commitments.

The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) has noted a concerning pattern in the eastern Horn of Africa, with five consecutive dry seasons officially recorded, marking the longest dry spell ever recorded in the region. The poor rainy season across Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia was forecasted by FEWS NET and other agencies, due to the historic below-average March-May 2022 season. FEWS NET's latest Somalia Seasonal Monitor reveals significant delays in the start of rains, irregular rain distribution, and significant rainfall deficiencies throughout the country, with the October-December 2022 rainfall totals well below what is required for productive crops and rangeland. The multi-year drought, caused by La Niña conditions, is anticipated to persist into 2023, with a possibility of a drier-than-normal wet season in March-May 2023 because of warm sea surface temperatures in the west Pacific.

Source: International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies