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Situation 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, approximately 157 million people in sub-Saharan Africa are grappling with crisis-level food shortages, marking a 7% increase from the 146 million in October 2022. This escalation is indicative of the rapidly worsening situation, as the region struggles to cope with an array of exacerbating factors.
Acute malnutrition rates across the continent have surged alarmingly. Currently, 16.5 million children under the age of five in West and Central Africa are in a severe nutritional crisis. Additionally, another seven million children in the Horn of Africa are facing similarly dire circumstances. These figures not only represent a significant increase from previous years but also underscore the expanding scope of the crisis.
In East Africa, countries are affected by the dual impact of conflict and climatic shocks. The Horn of Africa, for instance, experienced four consecutive failed rainy seasons starting from late 2020, followed by severe flooding in the latter part of 2023. This pattern of climatic extremes is unprecedented in its frequency and severity compared to previous years. South Sudan’s situation is illustrative of the escalating crisis, with the country enduring extreme flooding for four successive years, leading to prolonged humanitarian emergencies which are, in turn, exacerbating the food crisis.
Political instability in the Sahel region has led to significant displacement and livelihood disruptions. By mid-2023, an estimated 45,000 people in Burkina Faso and Mali were projected to face catastrophic levels of hunger, a figure that starkly contrasts with the situation in previous years.
The United Nations Global Humanitarian Overview for 2023 estimates the response cost at USD 51.5 billion, reflecting a 25% increase from early 2022. By mid-2023, the number of people in need had further risen by 7%, a trend that signals a significant escalation compared to past years.
The efforts of the IFRC and African National Societies are being scaled-up in response to this crisis, however, its current magnitude poses an unprecedented challenge to their response capabilities, making the need for a rapid, effective, and well-funded response more critical than ever to mitigate the escalating crisis and its long-term impacts.