While the eyes of the world are focused on Ukraine, a catastrophic hunger crisis is unfolding in the East Africa.
Children’s lives are at risk from a perfect storm of drought, humanitarian funding shortfalls, protracted armed conflict, the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, and rising food prices.
The numbers
Across the region – Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia - 25.3 million people are expected to be severely food insecure by June, with 5.7 million children acutely malnourished.
Children are particularly at risk as families take extreme measures to survive. In Somalia, more than 720,000 people have abandoned their homes in search of food and water in the past eight months. Displacement often leads to children being disconnected from education and health services. Children also face increased protection risks such as early marriage and gender-based violence, while malnutrition leaves them more susceptible to disease.
The knock-on effects of the conflict in Ukraine are making this already dire situation even worse. It has sent a shockwave through international food markets, resulting in disrupted supply and rising prices. For example, in Ethiopia, the price of sorghum and maize increased by 9% and 4% respectively between February and March.
This isn't the first time
Sir Nick Dyer, the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Famine Prevention, has said that “preventing famine is a choice”. The international community’s response to recent hunger crises in the East Africa is a lesson in point.
In 2011, when East Africa faced the worst hunger crisis this century, the international community failed to respond to clear early warning signs. By the time it mobilised, the humanitarian response was too little too late. More than quarter of a million people died– including 130,000 children.
By contrast, in 2017, when the region was again staring down the barrel of famine, a swift and effective humanitarian response enabled millions to survive the worst effects of drought. The UK Government played a leading role in this response, including by convening a major international conference in London which brought together Heads of State and Government from across East Africa and other key partners.
The choices the international community makes in the next couple of weeks will determine which version of history will repeat itself in 2022.
We need the UK government to act
There is a US$4.4 billion UN humanitarian appeal for Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia but funding is extremely low, with concerns that the Ukraine conflict is diverting both attention and money from other crises.
We need the UK Government to pull out all the stops and once again bring donor countries together behind a humanitarian response equal to the scale of the crisis.
It should lead by example, urgently providing new emergency funding for life-saving activities - such as nutrition, food assistance and livelihoods support, as well as investing in the anticipatory actions needed now to protect social safety nets. So far, the Government has committed just £19.5 million to the three countries this year. That is a drop in the ocean – to put it in context, in 2017 the UK provided almost £700 million to help stave off famine in the region.
To safeguard its ability to respond to emergencies like this, the Government must reverse cuts to international aid and return to spending 0.7% of GNI as soon as possible. In the meantime, humanitarian funding for Ukraine must be new and additional to the already-reduced 0.5% aid budget.
The UK also has considerable convening power it can leverage. Within the G7, it should take concrete action to uphold the G7 Famine Compact and Nutrition for Growth Commitments. It should lobby the World Bank to unlock emergency funding and strengthen its capacity for crisis response. And it should work with national governments to address the underlying drivers of food insecurity and invest in building communities’ resilience.
The window to prevent the suffering of millions and the deaths of thousands from hunger is closing fast. The international community, including the UK, must act now – or children will pay the price of their neglect.
