Famine continues to threaten four countries affected by conflict and climate shocks. East African countries are being hit hard by ongoing conflicts, global inequality and surging food prices. Five years of drought followed by destructive heavy rains have affected Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. Five years of floods, conflict, and an influx of refugees have created humanitarian challenges in South Sudan.
These compounding crises have pushed 26 million vulnerable people into a profoundly alarming hunger crisis.
Two million people have been displaced due to the drought in the Horn of Africa. The drought has also devastated the lives and livelihoods of families struggling to raise crops and livestock. More than 13 million livestock have died, pushing millions into protracted and unrelenting poverty.
Heavy rain in late 2023 in parts of East Africa, with forecasts for more in the coming months, bring opportunities for growing crops, but families that rely on raising livestock will face challenges to rebuild their herds. And in areas prone to flooding, rain brings more risks.