Humanitarian needs remain high across East Africa

Humanitarian needs remain high across the East Africa region, driven by conflict, poor macroeconomic conditions and the lasting impacts of weather shocks, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) has warned.

The FEWS NET, a provider of early warning and analysis on acute food insecurity, said in its latest East Africa Food Security Outlook issued late Monday that widespread crisis and emergency outcomes persist in the region, with a risk of more extreme outcomes in Ethiopia and South Sudan.

While improved rainfall during the March-to-May rainfall season is supporting slow recovery from the impacts of the 2020-2023 drought in the eastern Horn of Africa, it warned that humanitarian needs remain elevated among displaced populations and pastoral populations that became destitute during the drought.

“Very high concern exists for severe acute food security outcomes in the northern conflict-affected Tigray region and southern and southeastern drought-affected regions of Ethiopia amid the ongoing pause in humanitarian assistance,” the FEWS NET said.

It further warned that a credible risk of famine exists in South Sudan should a large-scale increase in conflict and extensive flooding in the rest of the season cut households off from food for a prolonged period.

The FEWS NET said humanitarian food assistance is mitigating more severe outcomes in many areas of East Africa and Yemen.

It, however, stressed serious concern remains for the inability of populations to meet their minimum food needs in areas where food assistance has been severely interrupted, such as in Sudan, or paused, such as in Ethiopia.