Nairobi — The humanitarian situation in Eastern Africa is rapidly deteriorating due to a convergence of escalating conflicts, economic shocks, disease outbreaks, and extreme climate events, a new report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has revealed.
The report, published on Wednesday, paints a grim picture of the region, which now accounts for nearly 21 per cent of the world’s total humanitarian caseload — among the highest globally.
OCHA warned of alarming food insecurity in the region, revealing that Sudan alone accounts for 10 per cent of the global population in need of assistance.
“Between 2021 and 2025, the number of people facing hunger surged from 37 million to 58.6 million,” OCHA said.
Sudan and South Sudan have emerged as the most affected, with famine confirmed in parts of Sudan.
Other countries facing acute food insecurity include Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda.
The report also highlights the region’s heavy burden of child malnutrition, with an estimated 8.7 million children under five acutely malnourished.
Conflicts in Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, and Ethiopia have triggered one of the world’s most severe displacement crises. The region now hosts 17.7 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) — nearly 22 per cent of the global total — with Sudan alone accounting for 60 per cent of them.
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5.9 million refugees
Additionally, 5.9 million refugees are sheltering in Eastern Africa, including 1.9 million in Uganda, which remains the largest refugee-hosting country in Africa.
The crisis is further compounded by multiple disease outbreaks. As of June 2025, Eastern Africa had become the global epicentre of cholera transmission, reporting nearly 109,000 cases — more than a third of the global total.
“South Sudan, with over 61,000 cases, and Sudan, with around 32,000 cases, are among the most severely affected countries,” the report noted.
The region is also grappling with outbreaks of measles, mpox, and other communicable diseases, straining already fragile health systems.
Despite the urgent needs, OCHA says humanitarian efforts are being severely hampered by massive funding shortfalls.
According to the report, of the $10.3 billion required to respond to the crisis in Eastern Africa in 2025, only a fraction has been mobilized, leaving millions at risk.
