Humanitarian Action for Children 2025 - Eastern and Southern Africa Region

51 million children at epicenter of overlapping crises across Eastern and Southern Africa

UNICEF launches appeal for USD 1.2 billion in flexible funding for children and communities in the region

Nairobi, 5 December 2024 – At least 51 million children across Eastern and Southern Africa are at the epicenter of multiple crises, including relentless climate shocks, public health emergencies, conflict, and economic impacts. This is a sharp increase of 6 million children in need compared to the previous year, signaling a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the region.

To support its regional response, UNICEF is appealing for USD 1.2 billion in vital, flexible funding to prioritize the needs and rights of underserved children and communities in the region.

“Thanks to the unwavering commitment of donors and partners, alongside UNICEF’s strong presence in the region, we have been able to respond rapidly. This year alone in terms of nutrition efforts, over 135 million children and 22 million pregnant women were screened for severe wasting. However, several of our humanitarian programmes are critically under-funded, which jeopardizes our long-term efforts to support children in need,” said UNICEF Regional Director, Etleva Kadilli.

Over the past year:

• 20 of the 21 countries in the Eastern and Southern Africa region are currently facing public health emergencies, affecting more than 63 million people. These outbreaks include mpox, Marburg, cholera, malaria, and other vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and polio. The growing frequency and rapid spread of public health emergencies, combined with fragile resilience and cross-border population movements, heighten the region's vulnerability to infectious disease outbreaks.
• Displacement in Eastern and Southern Africa increased by almost 15% due to climate impacts such as floods and droughts as well as escalating conflicts in neighboring countries. From April 2023 to 10 October 2024, more than 826,000 people, including 415,000 children, crossed into South Sudan, fleeing war in Sudan. South Sudan now hosts more than 484,000 refugees, and an estimated 2 million people are internally displaced largely due to floods, intercommunal conflicts and food insecurity.
• As a result of multiple crises, children are increasingly vulnerable to violence, exploitation, and family separation. As seen in other emergencies, gender-based violence, worsened by food insecurity and lack of economic opportunities, is a growing threat, with girls at heightened risk of child marriage and other harmful practices due to desperate coping mechanisms. For example, during the drought of 2022 in Ethiopia, child marriages increased by almost 120% in the worst-affected regions compared to the previous year. In such crises both boys and girls are more vulnerable to multiple forms of violence such as harsh discipline, recruitment into armed groups, and hazardous forms of labour.
• Despite improved enrolment rates across the region, children’s access to education is similarly dire, with nearly 47 million children out of school. Children in this region are at the epicentre of the global learning crisis, and disproportionately affected by public health emergencies, conflict and climate-related disasters, with 9 out of 10 children unable to read a simple text by age 10.
• Amid declining food production and rising malnutrition, approximately 1 in 3 children in the region faces food poverty and 28 million are at risk of being trapped in a cycle of malnutrition and poverty.

To protect children and build community and systemic resilience amidst the shocks of multiple crises, UNICEF will continue to prioritize lifesaving efforts for the most vulnerable, as well as strengthen national capacity and preparedness for timely and efficient humanitarian responses to ensure children’s rights everywhere. UNICEF is also scaling up collaborations with partners to ensure the rights of children remain central in local and national responses.

“Eastern and Southern Africa is home to millions of children who face extraordinary challenges. Yet even in the face of adversity, we see remarkable dynamism, hope and resilience. By prioritizing action and investment, we can make a transformative change, ensuring that children have the opportunities they need to make a difference in their lives,” added Kadilli.

Note to editors:

1. Regional and country-based spokespeople are available for interviews in the areas of Health, Climate, Protection, Nutrition, Education, Water and Sanitation, and more.
2. Notable regional results in 2024 include:
   • 135 million children screened for wasting.
   • Over 15 million children received access to essential health services including 5.2 million vaccinated against measles and 11.25 million vaccinated against polio.
   • More than 6.3 million people, including 3.2 million children received access to safe water.
   • Approximately 2 million children have been given access to formal or non-formal education.
   • More than 1.1 million children and adolescents accessed community-based mental health and psychosocial support.
3. Further details on UNICEF’s appeal and programmes in Eastern and Southern Africa are available here.
4. In 2025, UNICEF will:
   • Support the preparedness capacities of the most at-risk countries for climate shocks and public health emergencies, targeting approximately 43 million people, including 25 million children across the region.
   • Collaborating with other UN agencies and implementing partners, UNICEF will enhance anticipatory action frameworks in key sectors such as WASH, Nutrition, Health, Education, Child Protection, and Social Protection, including advocacy and resource mobilization efforts.
   • Intensify its focus on the needs of the most vulnerable children through life-saving interventions, while addressing longer-term needs to regular programming. This strategic shift has resulted in a 13 per cent increase in children in need compared to 2024, but a 9 per cent decrease in funding requirements, reflecting a more targeted and efficient allocation of resources.
   • Continue its commitment to providing equitable support to the most at-risk countries by prioritizing the needs of children and communities disproportionately affected by crises. This approach involves addressing the root causes of inequities while ensuring that immediate humanitarian responses are inclusive and targeted.
   • Strengthen the capacity of children, communities and systems to withstand, adapt, and recover from crises. By linking humanitarian response to regular programming, UNICEF will continue to enhance the resilience-building capacities of governments and communities across the 21 countries in Eastern and Southern Africa.

Media contacts

Sasha Surandran

UNICEF Nairobi

Tel: +254 745 191 754

Email: ssurandran@unicef.org