Food Crisis to Escalate Across East and Horn of Africa in 2023

On Wednesday, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) released the report titled "Regional Focus of the Global Report on Food Crisis 2023," which shows that 30 million people will require food assistance in Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda.

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"The hunger levels in our region are at an unprecedented high. This situation is inextricably linked to climate extremes and disasters, conflict and insecurity, and economic shocks," the IGAD Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu said and called for taking bolder action to build resilience against future shocks, including transforming agri-systems to become more efficient, inclusive and sustainable.

According to the report, of the 30 million food-insecure population, an estimated 7.5 million people in Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan are projected to face large food consumption gaps and adopt emergency coping measures.

Over 83,000 individuals are anticipated to face an extreme lack of food in the most severe drought and conflict-affected areas of the region, particularly in Somalia and South Sudan.

Even if the March-May 2023 rains bring some relief from the Horn of Africa's worst drought in more than four decades, the region will continue to deal with its catastrophic consequences in 2023 and beyond, the report noted.

It added that the recovery of pastoral and agro-pastoral livelihoods from the devastating three-year drought will take years and humanitarian assistance continues to be critical until households and communities can recover.

In Sudan, the impact of the ongoing conflict on food availability and access is expected to drive a rapid deterioration in food security and nutrition security with the capital of Khartoum and the region of Darfur being most affected.

By mid-May, more than 1 million people had fled their homes with around 843 000 people being newly displaced internally and over 250,000 people fleeing to neighboring countries. Rukia Yacoub, deputy regional director for the World Food Programme East Africa, said the conflict in Sudan is sending hunger shockwaves across an already fragile region.

Chimimba David Phiri, subregional coordinator for eastern Africa for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, said the report should serve as a wake-up call for collective action to address the root causes of food insecurity.

The prolonged drought across the Horn of Africa calls for the urgency to upscale and institutionalize anticipatory action and climate adaptation strategies to minimize the negative impact on future climate emergencies, Phiri added.

The IGAD report said key stakeholders should align efforts and share evidence and information which extend beyond immediate relief measures and encompass long-term strategies to achieve sustainable food security in the region.