The Africa Food Crisis: Millions are facing extreme hunger due to the looming threat of famine in Africa
Famine in Africa, drought, and conflict have left record numbers of people in the Horn of Africa in urgent need of humanitarian aid.
We must act now.
Ongoing drought in the Horn of Africa has left 18 million people facing severe hunger.
Consecutive failed rainy seasons have devastated the crops of millions across the region.
On the brink of famine in Africa, communities across eastern Africa are facing hunger caused by conflict, one of the worst droughts in 40 years.
As international food and fuel prices skyrocket because of global conflict and crises, vulnerable families are being left behind.
Many of the most vulnerable are facing hunger and even starvation after another year of failed crops, exacerbated by the emerging famine in Africa, forcing them to slaughter or sell any remaining livestock.
The drought situation will continue to drive high humanitarian needs well into 2024, with a high likelihood of another failed season.
We must act now.
Your generous donation today means our partners in countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan and Eritrea can respond quickly to support vulnerable communities during this crisis.
What's happening: East Africa Food Crisis
Over 81.6 million people are facing high acute food insecurity across eastern Africa.
The region is facing multiple challenges at once: drought, flooding, rising food and fuel prices, locust plagues and ongoing conflict and displacement.
- Approximately 7 million children under 5 years are acutely malnourished in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia - this includes more than 1.7 million with severe acute malnutrition.
- In Ethiopia, communities continue to suffer from the devastating drought affecting the Horn of Africa and are bracing for another failed season.
Food and fuel prices were already on the rise, but basic goods are now unaffordable for most rural families.
Displacement across the region is making the situation even harder.
- In northern Ethiopia, large camps of people who have been forced from their homes by conflict are living in poor conditions with limited access to adequate shelter, sanitation and food.
- Tens of thousands of displaced families are unable to sow crops during the current rainy season - reducing next year's harvest even more.
Your generosity means that our partners in countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan and Eritrea can respond quickly to this unfolding humanitarian crisis.
You can help people facing extreme hunger. Make a donation today.
"The drought has destroyed all of our crops and left us very hungry, we have nothing to eat. Before when I had my husband he could support me, but now as a widow I don’t have any support. Without Caritas, my children might have died."
Ethiopia is facing its worst drought in nearly 40 years, with an estimated 20 million people in need of urgent assistance. This is on top of one of the worst locust swarms in the past decade and ongoing conflict that has displaced thousands of vulnerable people. It is estimated that more than 4.5 million livestock have died since late 2021, and at least 30 million weakened and emaciated livestock are at risk.
Somalia is on the brink of famine, with nearly 8 million people facing extreme hunger and food insecurity. The last famine declared in Somalia, in 2011, killed a quarter of a million people. Unless urgent action is taken, Somalia may face a catastrophic humanitarian disaster. Devastating flooding hit in 2023, driving almost 500,000 people from their homes.
More than 4.35 million people in Kenya are at risk of severe hunger, particularly up north in areas such as Marsabit. A national state of disaster has been declared with vulnerable communities struggling to access food and clean water. In late 2023, ongoing rains and severe flooding, linked to the El Niño weather phenomenon, caused loss of life and widespread damage. Over 540,000 people were forced from their homes and are now living in temporary camps across the country.
Eritrea
Over 65% of Eritreans live below the poverty line, making it one of the least developed countries in the world. Located in one of the driest parts of the Horn of Africa, many communities face food insecurity and high malnutrition rates. Eritrea is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, with ongoing drought and low water levels impacting crops and livestock.
Our partners are on the ground to support communities affected by the African food crisis, providing:
Emergency food rations and nutrition support
Safe, clean water and hygiene facilities
Emergency cash transfers for essential needs
Support to families forced from their homes by conflict
Many families that have long struggled to grow enough to eat will soon find themselves with no food at all.
After years of severe drought, crops are failing and livestock dying in droves. Families who previously relied on subsistence farming are no longer able to grow enough food to eat, let alone to sell at the markets so they can afford to buy seeds for the next season.
When disasters strike, the steep cost of imported emergency supplies puts some of the most marginalised people at risk. We work with our partners on the ground to get food, clean water and first aid to communities as quickly as possible.
With your help, we’re working with our partners on the ground to bring vital aid to vulnerable families in the Horn of Africa:
- Food distributions to households at risk of malnutrition
- Support to children impacted by malnutrition
- Clean drinking water and support for sanitation
- Cash transfers to households at risk of poverty
- Hygiene supplies, including soap and hand sanitiser
- Seeds and household items for families impacted by conflict and displacement
- Environmentally sustainable and drought-resistant farming training and support
Your generous donation today means our partners across Africa can respond quickly and efficiently to support vulnerable communities during this crisis.
Bute's story - the impact of the food crisis on families across Ethiopia
Bute is a village elder living in southern Ethiopia with his wife, Burre. Bute was elected by his community members to represent their voices. They have a story they want to share with the rest of the world: they need urgent humanitarian aid now.
Before the current drought, Bute and Burre had 2,000 livestock in two stables, including donkeys, goats and cows. The grass was green and there were plenty of pasture for their livestock. They used to harvest sorghum and maize, with enough water from the nearby river to irrigate their crops.
“We used to have lots of milk and meat to eat, and now we have almost nothing. We feel very sad and frustrated. The life we used to live and enjoy is completely gone,” Bute said.
During the last three years, rainfall in this area of southern Ethiopia has been erratic, with long periods without any rain. This meant that farmers and pastoralists are unable to grow any crops or feed their livestock.
Bute and Burre’s seven adult children have left in search of food and it has been more than a year since they last saw them.
With your support, Caritas Australia is working with Caritas Ethiopia to provide urgent food and emergency water to drought-affected communities.
“We pray and hope for rain. We appeal for people to give us food because here there is continuous drought, we can’t farm, there is no rain. We have no other chance except for this help.”
Donate to help families in need
Your donation can help provide urgent aid and assistance to vulnerable communities affected by the food crisis. Your support can provide life-saving essentials, such as food rations, clean water and emergency cash.
Learn more about the Africa Food Crisis
Where does my donation go?
The funds raised through this appeal will be used to provide immediate and longer-term humanitarian assistance to communities affected by crises across the horn of Africa.
Where this is not possible, the funds will be used to provide immediate and longer-term development and humanitarian assistance to communities affected by crises in Africa. If any excess funds remain after a crisis, or if there are changes in circumstances beyond our control that limit our ability to use the funds, they are kept in the Emergency Response Fund so that we can respond to ongoing development needs and future crises across all our regions.
As a member of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID), Caritas Australia is committed and fully adhere to the ACFID Code of Conduct, conducting our work with transparency, accountability and integrity. Find out more about ACFID Code of Conduct for Emergency Appeals.