UN warns of worsening hunger, disease and displacement crisis in Eastern Africa
The report attributed the crisis to fighting, economic problems, rising food prices, disease outbreaks and extreme weather conditions including drought and floods.
The United Nations has raised alarm over a worsening humanitarian crisis in Eastern Africa, where millions of people are going hungry, battling disease and fleeing their homes.
According to a new report released on Wednesday by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), nearly 21 per cent of people in need of humanitarian aid globally are now in Eastern Africa.
The report attributed the crisis to fighting, economic problems, rising food prices, disease outbreaks and extreme weather conditions, including drought and floods.
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"Between 2021 and 2025, the number of people facing hunger surged from 37 million to 58.6 million," OCHA said.
The report particularly singled out Sudan and South Sudan as the hardest hit nations in the region, with famine already reported in parts of both countries. Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Burundi, Tanzania, Djibouti and Uganda are also being affected by famine.
Sudan
According to OCHA, Sudan alone accounts for 10 per cent of people in need of humanitarian assistance globally.
Further, the report revealed that 8.7 million children under the age of five are suffering from acute malnutrition in the region.
It added that conflicts in Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia have led to mass displacements in the region, which now has 17.7 million displaced persons.
This is nearly 22 per cent of all displacements recorded globally. Sudan alone accounts for 60 per cent of these displacements.
Additionally, OCHA noted that Eastern African nations are sheltering close to 5.9 million refugees, with Uganda holding around 1.9 million, which is higher than any other African country.
OCHA's report also pointed out that Eastern Africa has become the world's hotspot for cholera, warning that the region reported nearly 109,000 cholera cases as of June 2025.
"South Sudan, with over 61,000 cases, and Sudan, with around 32,000 cases, are among the most severely affected countries," the report noted.
Outbreaks of measles and mpox are also overwhelming health systems across the region.
According to OCHA, although $10.3 billion (Sh1.3 trillion) is needed to for humanitarian assistance in Eastern Africa in 2025, only a small portion has been received by the agency, leaving millions of lives at risk.
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