Food insecurity grips 40.3 million in Eastern Africa

More than 40.3 million people across six countries in Eastern Africa are facing high levels of acute food insecurity, highlighting the scale of a regional crisis driven by conflict, climate shocks, and declining humanitarian support.

According to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development's Regional Focus of the 2026 Global Report on Food Crises, more than one in three people in the region require urgent food and livelihood assistance. The risk of famine also persists in parts of South Sudan and Sudan, leaving millions vulnerable to further shocks.

Released on Thursday, the report said that the number of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity fell from 43.3 million in 2025, partly due to improvements in Sudan and Uganda. However, conditions deteriorated in Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan.

South Sudan has the region's highest prevalence of acute food insecurity, with 55 percent of its population in IPC Phase 3 (crisis) or above from April to July 2026. The number of people requiring urgent food and livelihood assistance increased by nearly 103, 200 from the 2025 peak, reaching 7.8 million.

Sudan remains the region's largest and most severe food crisis, with famine projected under a reasonable worst-case scenario in 14 areas across North Darfur, South Darfur, and South Kordofan from February through September 2026.

In Somalia, nearly 6.5 million people, or 33 percent of the population, faced high levels of acute food insecurity from February to March 2026, an increase of 1.9 million from the 2025 peak.

In Kenya's arid and semi-arid lands, 4.1 million people, including nearly 429, 500 refugees, faced high levels of acute food insecurity.

The deterioration was driven primarily by a worsening drought following one of the driest October–December 2025 seasons on record across much of northern and eastern Kenya. The drought caused widespread crop failures and severe shortages of pasture and water.

In Djibouti, 300,000 people, or 25 percent of the analyzed population, were projected to face high levels of acute food insecurity between July and December 2026, an increase of more than 25,000 people from the 2025 peak.

In Uganda, the number of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity declined from 3.4 million in 2025 to 2.1 million between August 2025 and February 2026, driven by favorable seasonal production.

Poor macroeconomic conditions, characterized by local currency depreciation and high inflation, continued to constrain food access, particularly in South Sudan and the Sudan, the report said.

Disruptions affecting the Strait of Hormuz and instability along the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb corridor threaten maritime routes that the region depends on for fuel, food imports, commercial trade, and humanitarian logistics. These disruptions could expose IGAD member states to external shocks and further aggravate food security challenges.

Sudan, South Sudan, and Somalia face the greatest impacts because of their high import dependency. Somalia, for instance, imports close to 90 percent of its cereal requirements.

Higher fuel and transport costs could further increase food prices, constrain market access, and complicate humanitarian access and the delivery of assistance.

The figures come as Eastern Africa braces for another major climate challenge, with forecasts of El Nino conditions raising concerns over heavy rains, flooding, and potential damage to crops and livestock in areas still recovering from prolonged drought.

For communities already facing food shortages and weakened livelihoods, the prospect of another climate shock underscores the need for stronger early-warning systems, preparedness measures, and resilient food production.

Speaking at the report launch, Charity Mumbua, a food security specialist at IGAD, called for a shift from response to anticipation, with financing and action triggered before shocks escalate into crises.

She also urged a shift from relief to investment to rebuild agri-food systems, livelihoods, and markets so they can withstand future shocks.

Mumbua further called for a shift from national to regional action, noting that hunger crosses borders through people, livestock, and pests, and that response must do the same.