Soaring food prices, conflict and climate change are plunging parts of Africa into a severe and enduring food crisis, with millions of people in Africa facing extreme hunger. The British Red Cross has launched an appeal to help avert catastrophe.
Last updated 7 September 2022
What are the causes of extreme hunger in Africa?
Right now, communities across Africa including in Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Somalia are facing the worst food crisis seen in 40 years. It’s the worst crisis in decades – yet it’s not making our headlines.
Global factors such as ongoing climate change in Africa, the escalating conflict in Ukraine, inflation around the world and a surge in global food prices have caused devastating ripples across the globe.
But this extreme hunger is hitting great swathes of Africa particularly hard.
These are resilient communities, but after back-to-back emergencies their fortitude is fading. According to the UN, 46 million people in Africa experienced hunger in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic – that’s the highest share of any continent in the world.
Other factors, such as year on year droughts in the horn of Africa, locust storms destroying crops, internal conflict in Ethiopia, and floods and droughts across the Sahel were already having a devastating impact on people’s lives, families, health, and livelihoods.
Dr Asha Mohammed, secretary general of the Kenya Red Cross, says:
“We have been sounding the alarm for some time in Kenya. We are facing the worst drought in 40 years. Crop production has decreased by a staggering 70%.
The crisis is not caused by climate change alone, but it is a key driver. I heard first-hand the commitments made by governments at COP26. Governments must stand by these commitments and invest in community resilience so we having long lasting solutions.
Large parts of Somalia, Ethiopia and north-eastern Kenya are facing one of the most severe droughts in 40 years – one of the most prolonged drought in Africa and in recent global history. Drought has caused an estimated seven million livestock deaths, meaning a loss of food or income for families. People have exhausted all avenues, and don’t know where their next meal will come from.
Communities and people across Africa are at breaking point
Please help if you can
146 million – the daily existence behind that number is bleak. But there is hope. In 2017, we pulled together to help avert catastrophe in the region, saving lives. Today, it’s a race against the clock. We will not stop supporting communities and people in Africa, but we cannot do this alone.
Extreme hunger in Africa: How the drought is affecting communities
The daily reality for people is heart-breaking. Parents are being forced to sacrifice meals so that their children can eat – sometimes not eating for days themselves.
Children are being taken out of school to earn money. But every morning families are still waking up to extreme hunger.
Lack of access to food in parts of Somalia have recently reached catastrophic levels with an estimated 7 million people experiencing crisis or worse. This is expected to deteriorate further and faster between June and September if food assistance is not scaled up and sustained.
In Nigeria alone, an overwhelming 19.5 million people don’t have enough to eat. Across the continent, hunger is contributing to 45% of children’s deaths.
We can help stop the situation getting worse. But we need to act now.
How many people die from hunger each year in Africa?
Millions of people in Africa are going hungry everyday without enough of the food they need. Hundreds of thousands of people in Africa die every year from extreme hunger.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, 3.2 million children under the age of five die every year. With the current food crisis and the increasing number of children in Africa going hungry every day, this number could increase if we don’t take action to help.
A way forward: how the Red Cross is helping people in Africa facing extreme hunger
Red Cross teams are working on the ground across the continent, supporting people suffering from hunger, as they don’t have enough of the food they need. We’re also helping communities who have been hit hardest with water, food, immediate financial help, nutrition services, and healthcare.
We continue to help people adapt to the affects of climate change in Africa and build their long-term resilience to cope.
By providing tools, financial help, and vital skills and training, we can help make sure that families aren’t pushed to crisis point of extreme hunger.
Mike Adamson, chief executive of the British Red Cross, says that with a concerted and meaningful international and financial response, governments can help avert an otherwise certain catastrophe.
“The UK must play a leading role in responding to this growing emergency. Communities urgently need support, not only with immediate food and healthcare needs, but also longer-term, sustainable solutions.
By responding quickly and early in 2017, we prevented a calamitous crisis in the Horn of Africa. We must see that same urgency now.
In North-eastern Kenya
The Kenyan Red Cross has now reached more than 520,000 people as part of its drought response so far and is working to reach 500,000 more people experiencing extreme hunger in the worst affected communities in Africa.
They are providing food, safe and clean drinking water as well as health support and livestock support, alongside financial assistance.
In Nigeria
The Nigerian Red Cross is one of the lead responders in the country, supporting people affected by the extreme hunger crisis.
They plan to reach 200,000 of the most affected communities in the North West and North Central states through food distribution, financial assistance, and support with essential household items, as well as seeds and tools for growing food.
They’re also supporting people in Africa with health services such as water and sanitation support.
In Ethiopia
The Ethiopian Red Cross has been supporting people in Africa affected by the extreme hunger crisis, helping them to meet their basic needs.
They are providing financial assistance and food, farm tools, seeds and fertiliser to support people to maintain their livelihoods, alongside psychosocial support and protection services.
They are scaling up their response to support an additional 500,000 people in the most affected communities.
In Somalia
The Somalian Red Crescent has supported around 200,000 families in their drought response. Through mobile health clinics in the most affected areas and financial assistance to buy food and essential items, they have been supporting the people most affected by extreme hunger in Somalia.
They are also providing clean water and immunisations to prevent the spread of disease amongst the worst affected areas, and are scaling up to reach 560,000 more people.