With a record high of 42 million people facing acute food insecurity this year across Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda, according to the latest Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Regional Focus of the 2025 Global Report, it is time to shift focus to tackling food crises once and for all.
The number of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity in the six African countries has tripled – from 13.9 million in 2016 during the first edition of the Global Report on Food Crises to 41.7 million in 2025.
Sudan and South Sudan are the largest and most severely affected by food crises in the region. Sudan currently has the largest highly food-insecure population in the region, at 24.6 million, with famine and risk of famine in multiple areas. Meanwhile, South Sudan continues to have the largest share of people (57 percent) in IPC Phase 3 and above in the region, with two of its counties at risk of famine.
“These are very worrying figures. And this shows we are not making sufficient efforts in ending hunger,” Antony Awira, IGAD director, planning and partnerships, told Nairobi Business Monthly on Tuesday, September 16, when the comparable data was released.
Significant drivers of acute food insecurity include conflict, economic challenges, and climate extremes. The drivers of acute food insecurity in the IGAD region are interlinked and mutually reinforcing.
Now, the situation is expected to deteriorate further, as the latest forecast by IGAD’s Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) also points to drier-than-usual conditions in parts of the region, including southern Ethiopia, eastern Kenya, and much of Somalia.
Some of these areas, particularly central and northern Somalia, have already experienced at least one below-average rainy season, and drought conditions already persist. Another below-average season risks driving further deteriorations in food insecurity and malnutrition.
Acute malnutrition remains at alarming levels across the region, with 11.4 million children aged 6–59 months acutely malnourished in seven member states. Among them, 3.1 million urgently need lifesaving treatment for severe acute malnutrition. However, due to significant funding cuts, an estimated 1 million people could be left without access to this treatment.
Furthermore, the IGAD region continues to have more forcibly displaced people than any other in the world. As of the end of June, 23.2 million people were living in forced displacement, including 17.8 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 5.4 million refugees and asylum seekers.
Sudan remains the world’s largest internal displacement crisis with about 10 million IDPs. Meanwhile, Uganda continues to host the largest refugee population on the continent, with over 1.9 million.
Displaced populations face some of the worst food security and nutritional outcomes due to loss of livelihoods and social support networks, and a heavy reliance on humanitarian assistance at a time of reduced funding.
“The food crisis in our region is more than just hunger; it’s a stark reminder of the interconnected challenges we face, conflict, the severe effects of climate change, economic shocks, and displacement,” IGAD’s Executive Secretary, Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, said, adding that no single institution can tackle these crises on its own.
“Through collective action, working across governments, regional institutions, and partners, we can address the root causes of vulnerability and create lasting solutions for our people,” Dr. Gebeyehu said.
FAO Subregional Coordinator for Eastern Africa ad interim, Farayi Zimudzi, said the report shows most countries in the region continue to face severe food insecurity, and the situation is worsening.
He said, “Rural agricultural communities are among the worst affected. With another poor rainy season expected in some parts of the region, we must act now to protect rural livelihoods with anticipatory actions. However, anticipatory action alone won’t break the cycle. They must be paired with long-term resilience building and investment in sustainable agriculture to ensure no one is left behind.”
The seventh edition of the IGAD Regional Focus of the Global Report on Food Crises continues to provide essential information, analyses, and insights to collectively address the causes and consequences of escalating acute food insecurity and malnutrition in the region.
According to World Food Programme’s Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, Eric Perdison, the scale of the hunger crisis across the region is deeply alarming, with more people affected than the entire population of many countries elsewhere. In Sudan, Perdison noted, famine is already unfolding, and the situation could worsen.
“While working together to save lives is an immediate priority, we must also build resilience and support communities in standing on their own feet and not being forced to depend on humanitarian assistance for survival,” he said.
