Status overview
The effects of the ongoing food insecurity crisis in Africa are severe and have shown a critical trend over time.
As of November 2023, an estimated 157 million people in sub-Saharan Africa face crisis-level food shortages, a 7% increase from 146 million in October 2022. This escalation is indicative of a rapidly worsening situation as the region struggles to cope with a series of aggravating factors.
Rates of acute malnutrition across the continent have risen alarmingly. Currently, 16.5 million children under the age of five in West and Central Africa are in severe nutritional crisis. In addition, another seven million children in the Horn of Africa face similar adverse conditions. These figures not only represent a significant increase over previous years, but also highlight the widening scope of the crisis.
In East Africa, countries are affected by the dual impact of conflict and climate shocks. The Horn of Africa, for example, experienced four consecutive failed rainy seasons starting in late 2020, followed by severe flooding in the latter part of 2023. This pattern of climate extremes is unprecedented in its frequency and severity compared to the past years. The situation in South Sudan is indicative of the escalating crisis, with the country experiencing extreme flooding for four consecutive years, leading to protracted humanitarian emergencies that in turn worsen the food crisis.
Political instability in the Sahel region has led to significant displacement and disruption of livelihoods. By mid-2023, an estimated 45,000 people in Burkina Faso and Mali will face catastrophic levels of hunger, a number that stands in stark contrast to the situation in previous years.
The United Nations Global Humanitarian Review 2023 estimates response costs at USD 51.5 billion, reflecting a 25% increase from early 2022. By mid-2023, the number of people in need had further increased by 7 %, a trend that marks a significant escalation compared to previous years.
The efforts of the IFRC and African National Societies are being scaled up in response to this crisis, however, its current scale poses an unprecedented challenge to their response capacities, making the need for a swift, effective and well-funded response all the more critical. than ever to mitigate the escalating crisis and its long-term effects.