More than 1 billion people in Africa struggle to afford a healthy diet. Addressing child hunger on the continent is critical, as approximately 30% of children in Africa suffer from stunted growth due to malnutrition. An estimated 20% of the population is undernourished, and since the COVID-19 pandemic began, an additional 57 million people are facing hunger.
In 2022, an estimated 868 million people in Africa experienced moderate to severe food insecurity, with over one-third of them facing severe food insecurity. Hunger trends reveal a troubling reversal of progress over the decades; after significant improvement since 2000, hunger worsened sharply between 2019 and 2022. In 2023, World Vision supported over 25.4 million people, including 14 million children, across 28 countries, of which 18 are in Africa.
The causes of hunger in Africa are complex. Conflict, extreme weather events, poverty, and instability all contribute to food shortages, limiting access to nutritious food. The ongoing effects of COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine have further exacerbated these shortages.
Certain regions in Africa are particularly affected by the hunger crisis. The situation is especially severe in the Horn of Africa and the West and Central Africa regions.
In the Horn of Africa, millions are facing acute hunger amid one of the worst droughts in decades, which has been intensified by armed conflict, the effects of COVID-19, and soaring food prices due to the war in Ukraine. Severe conditions have uprooted families from their communities, worsening displacement and hygiene crises.
In Sudan, escalating conflict in 2023 has added 8.6 million people to those facing extreme hunger. Between October and December 2023, 4.3 million people in Somalia experienced acute food insecurity, with 1 million at risk of starvation. Contributing factors to this crisis include drought, extreme weather, and limited humanitarian assistance due to funding constraints.
In West and Central Africa, more than 49.5 million people are experiencing hunger, with coastal areas being the most severely affected. Conflict, extreme weather events, and rising prices are major contributors to food insecurity in this region. Additionally, funding shortages are straining aid efforts, which increases the risk of malnutrition among children.
In Niger, 82% of the population faces inadequate food consumption due to recent price increases, and it is expected that 1.9 million children under the age of five will suffer from acute malnutrition.
