Description of the crisis
By February 2023, Africa’s hunger crisis has reached critical levels, with an estimated 146 million people facing crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa. This crisis was triggered by a confluence of climate shocks, including prolonged droughts and recurrent floods, exacerbated by conflict, economic recession and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. These global and local factors have severely impacted communities, pre-existing vulnerabilities such as poverty and marginalization, and disproportionately affected vulnerable groups such as women, children, the elderly, people with disabilities and those in single or child-headed households.
In the Horn of Africa, the situation was particularly dire. The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) reported five consecutive dry spells, marking the longest drought ever recorded in the region. In Somalia, an estimated 8.3 million people will face Crisis (IPC Phase 3) or worse conditions by mid-2023, with famine expected in rural Baidoa and displaced populations in Baidoa City. Despite ongoing humanitarian efforts, acute food insecurity and malnutrition levels were expected to worsen further without continued food assistance.
The wider East African region also faced significant challenges. The poor performance of the March-May 2022 rainy season was followed by delayed and erratic rainfall, affecting crop production and pasture conditions. In Ethiopia, the Meher season harvest ended with below-average yields due to prolonged conflict and dry conditions, while widespread flooding in Sudan and South Sudan disrupted agricultural activities. In contrast, West Africa experienced generally favorable conditions for the main and second grain harvests, except in conflict-affected areas. Southern Africa, however, saw mixed conditions with increasing drought affecting countries such as Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Madagascar, potentially threatening main season cereal production.
The National Societies of the African Red Cross and Red Crescent made emergency appeals in response to these crises. Seventeen national companies then engaged with limited resources, highlighting the critical need for more funding to scale up the response. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) increased its operational and technical support in the region, particularly in Somalia, where it planned to expand its presence in Somaliland and Puntland, including establishing an office in Garowe and exploring access to communities outside big cities.
Angola is currently struggling with severe drought, affecting food insecurity, affecting an estimated 1.58 million people in the southern provinces, exacerbated by the worst drought in 40 years. In Burkina Faso, over 2.27 million people face severe food insecurity due to a combination of armed conflict and insufficient agricultural production, especially in areas bordering Niger. In Cameroon, food insecurity has worsened, affecting over 3.2 million people nationwide due to internal conflicts and extreme weather events. Djibouti is facing a critical hunger crisis, with an estimated 192,168 people projected to face acute food insecurity due to compounding risk factors such as drought and global economic impacts. The Democratic Republic of Congo is facing one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, affecting millions due to ongoing conflict, displacement and climate adversity.
Ethiopia is in a protracted crisis with 28.6 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. Conflict, climate shocks and economic instability have led to massive food insecurity and displacement. Madagascar’s Grand Sud has experienced worsening food insecurity, with significant numbers of people facing acute malnutrition and limited access to food due to poor weather and economic factors. In Mali, the food crisis continued with a projection of increased food insecurity affecting millions due to climate risks, armed conflict and socio-political unrest. Niger has seen an increase in food insecurity, with over 4 million people affected by adverse weather conditions, disease outbreaks and insecurity affecting agricultural and pastoral activities. Nigeria has faced a severe hunger crisis, particularly in the northern region, due to conflict, economic hardship and climate-related unrest. Somalia has experienced significant food insecurity with millions affected. Conditions are improving slightly due to better rainfall, but the overall situation remains critical due to ongoing conflicts and climate shocks.
In light of the alarming food crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa, the October 2023 DREF Operational Review highlighted the critical need for enhanced efforts to address the complex challenges. It supported the integration of sustainable solutions, improved project monitoring and innovative resource mobilization strategies to enhance the effectiveness of operations and ensure the sustainability of actions. By focusing on long-term planning, strengthening coordination and promoting the new DREF method for slow-onset crises, the recommendations aimed to strengthen the response to the hunger crisis in priority countries. The review’s findings highlighted the importance of addressing both the immediate and underlying causes of food insecurity in order to ensure a comprehensive and resilient approach to mitigating the impact of this unprecedented crisis.
Southern Africa is also facing a deepening subsidence crisis. Since November 2023, the El Niño weather phenomenon has brought high temperatures and below-average rainfall to southern Africa, with significant negative impacts on agriculture, leading to water shortages, food shortages and disease outbreaks. The drought began in Botswana in October 2023 and gradually intensified and spread to Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia, affecting most of southern Africa today. In the past month and a half, the governments of Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe have declared a state of emergency. With the resources available, the National Societies of the Red Cross in South Africa provided the support they could to some of the most affected communities in the region. However, more support is urgently needed to provide immediate relief and prevent an even worse situation soon.
South African National Societies are responding through a combination of existing emergency appeals in Malawi, Zimbabwe, Angola and Madagascar, and DREF operations in Eswatini and Zambia, and are currently requesting CHF 34 million to cover the most urgent needs of 1.4 million people. Based on recent assessments and requests for support, the Africa Regional Office is preparing emergency appeals for Zambia and Mozambique. For the other Southern African countries, exact needs are assessed on an ongoing basis and, if necessary, will also be supported through DREF operations or emergency appeals.
All functions are based on food security and livelihoods, health and nutrition, and water sanitation and hygiene. As well as coordination, humanitarian diplomacy, protection and gender mainstreaming and community engagement and accountability were seen as key factors. These align with IFRC’s current Hunger Crisis Appeal in the Africa Region and contribute to IFRC’s pan-African Zero Hunger initiative. A call to action1 was published on the IFRC website.
Key drivers of acute food insecurity
▪ Climate crises: Drought and floods affecting Ethiopia, Angola, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Djibouti, Madagascar and southern African countries have led to failed crops, loss of livestock and displacement, eroding livelihoods and increasing vulnerability.
▪ Economic decline: High food prices and economic instability/crises are evident in South Sudan, Tanzania, Nigeria and Madagascar, limiting access to basic resources and worsening food security.
▪ Conflict and insecurity: Ongoing armed conflicts in countries such as Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, Nigeria and Somalia continue to disrupt agricultural activities, displace communities and impede the delivery of aid.
▪ Disease outbreaks and health crises: In Niger and Ethiopia, disease outbreaks further strain already vulnerable populations, affecting nutritional status and increasing morbidity and mortality rates.