Nairobi, 14 April 2022 (TDI): The number of displaced people in eastern Africa has tripled from 1.82 million in 2012 to 5 million in 2022 due to food crisis, hunger, climate-induced disasters, and conflicts.
The affected families will fall deeper into hunger due to limitations in humanitarian resources, warned the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, and the UN World Food Programme (WFP).
An increase in food and fuel prices is ‘adding to the toxic mix,’ they remarked. The number of refugees in need of support is growing along with the gap between available resources and the growing needs of the people.
The available resources stretch to their limits due to emerging challenges of food security, climate change, Covid-19, and war. Millions are displaced in Africa due to food crises, climate disasters, and conflicts.
According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Analysis, the cocktail factors will leave 7.74 million people facing IPC Phase 3 levels or worse acute food insecurity between April and July.
The risk of stunting and wasting in children below the age of five years is increasing due to the lack of nutrients required for the development. 70% of the refugees are not receiving a further ration due to food shortage.
“Refugees are internally displaced people at the center of the food ration cuts, compounding a desperate situation for millions of people uprooted from their homes and often relying on aid to survive,” remarked Clementine Nkweta-Salami.
Clementine Nkweta-Salami is UNHCR’s Regional Bureau Director for the East, the Horn of Africa, and the Great Lakes. While addressing domestic risks and insecurity, Regional Director said that families do not know where their next meal will come from.
They are taking massive debts, selling their belongings, and sending children to work. ‘The risk of domestic violence is rising,‘ warned Regional Director.
UN Children’s Agency, UN food Agency, WFP, and UNICEF have called on all the nations to contribute to preventing a collapse of livelihoods in the worst affected areas of Africa.
