The Horn of Africa is facing a massive humanitarian crisis, with over 20 million people forced to leave their homes due to ongoing conflicts and worsening climate conditions. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that by July 2024, about 20.1 million people in the region were internally displaced, marking a significant increase from the 19.2 million reported in June.
The surge in displaced people is mainly due to the escalating conflicts in countries like Sudan, Ethiopia, and Burundi. Sudan, in particular, is experiencing severe turmoil, with 10.2 million people displaced—7.9 million of whom are still within the country, while 2.1 million have fled to neighboring nations since the conflict intensified in April 2023.
But conflict isn’t the only reason people are being uprooted. The region is also grappling with extreme weather conditions, including floods from heavy rains and severe food shortages. These problems are especially bad in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia, where many people are losing their homes because they can no longer find food or safety.
The IOM also highlighted that the Greater Horn of Africa region is currently home to about 5.4 million refugees and asylum seekers. Uganda is hosting the largest number of refugees, with 1.7 million people, followed by Ethiopia with 1 million, and Kenya with around 906,000 refugees.
The situation is becoming even more dire as nearly 67 million people in the region are now considered food insecure, meaning they don’t have reliable access to enough food. Among them, 39 million are in countries that are part of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), including Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Sudan, and Uganda.
Adding to the urgency, international agencies have warned that the region is likely to experience below-average rainfall from October to December 2024. This could lead to even more droughts, worsening the already critical situation and likely increasing the number of people displaced due to food insecurity.
The Horn of Africa is in the midst of a severe crisis, and the situation is only expected to get worse unless significant action is taken to address the root causes of conflict, climate change, and food shortages.
Source: Ghana Web
