NAIROBI, Kenya – At least 42 million people across six IGAD member states are grappling with high levels of acute food insecurity in 2025, marking one of the worst hunger crises in recent years, according to the IGAD Regional Focus of the Global Report on Food Crises released Tuesday.
The report shows that populations in Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda are facing food insecurity at IPC Phase 3 or higher – levels considered critical.
In countries with comparable data since 2016, the number of people in crisis has tripled from 13.9 million to 41.7 million.
Sudan and South Sudan account for the largest share of the crisis. Sudan has 24.6 million people classified as food insecure – the highest in the region – with several areas already experiencing famine conditions.
In South Sudan, 57 percent of the population is in IPC Phase 3 or above, with two counties on the brink of famine.
The report attributes the escalating crisis to interlinked drivers, including conflict, economic shocks, and worsening climate extremes.
IGAD’s climate monitoring arm, ICPAC, has projected below-average rainfall across southern Ethiopia, eastern Kenya, and much of Somalia – raising the risk of further deterioration in areas already hit by drought.
Acute malnutrition is also surging, with 11.4 million children under five affected, including 3.1 million requiring lifesaving treatment.
Funding cuts threaten to leave one million children without access to treatment.
The humanitarian crisis is compounded by record displacement figures. By mid-2025, 23.2 million people were displaced across the IGAD region, including 17.8 million internally displaced and 5.4 million refugees.
Sudan accounts for nearly 10 million IDPs, while Uganda hosts 1.9 million refugees, the largest in Africa.
IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu said the crisis underscores the region’s overlapping vulnerabilities.
“The food crisis in our region is more than just hunger; it’s a stark reminder of the interconnected challenges we face – conflict, climate change, economic shocks, and displacement,” he said, urging collective action across governments and institutions.
FAO’s acting Subregional Coordinator for Eastern Africa, Farayi Zimudzi, warned that rural agricultural communities remain the hardest hit.
“With another poor rainy season expected, we must act now to protect rural livelihoods with anticipatory actions,” she said, while stressing the need for long-term investment in sustainable agriculture.
WFP Regional Director Eric Perdison described the crisis as “deeply alarming,” noting that famine is already unfolding in Sudan.
“While saving lives is an immediate priority, we must also build resilience so communities are not forced to depend on humanitarian aid for survival,” he said.
The findings form part of the seventh edition of the Global Report on Food Crises, coordinated under the Global Network Against Food Crises, a multi-agency initiative tracking hunger worldwide.
