The humanitarian crisis in Eastern Africa has reached alarming levels, with 58.6 million people facing acute hunger, according to the latest Humanitarian Update from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The figure marks a dramatic increase from 37 million in 2021, signaling deepening suffering across the region.
The crisis spans nine countries, Kenya, Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, driven by a confluence of escalating armed conflicts, economic shocks, disease outbreaks, political instability, and climate-related disasters such as prolonged droughts and flooding.
“Eastern Africa now accounts for nearly 21% of the world’s humanitarian caseload and reflects some of the worst global humanitarian indicators,” the report noted. Sudan alone hosts 10% of the world’s people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.
South Sudan and Sudan remain among the hardest-hit, grappling with widespread hunger, conflict, and disease. In total, 8.7 million children under the age of five across the region are suffering from acute malnutrition, a situation worsened by deteriorating access to health, food, and water.
The report also details a worsening displacement crisis, with an estimated 17.7 million people internally displaced, nearly 22% of the global total. Sudan alone accounts for almost 60% of these displacements. Meanwhile, the region hosts 5.9 million refugees, including 1.9 million in Uganda.
Disease outbreaks are further compounding the crisis. Eastern Africa is now the global epicenter of cholera transmission, with nearly 109,000 cases reported by the end of June. South Sudan leads with over 61,000 cases, followed by Sudan with approximately 32,000. Other major outbreaks, including measles and mpox, are overwhelming already fragile health systems.
Funding remains a critical challenge. Of the $10.3 billion needed for humanitarian response in the region this year, only 15% has been secured by mid-2025. OCHA warns that limited resources have forced humanitarian agencies to scale back or suspend essential services, leaving millions without access to food, healthcare, and protection.
As humanitarian needs surge, the international community faces mounting pressure to scale up funding and support to avert further catastrophe in one of the world’s most vulnerable regions.
Written By Rodney Mbua
