Global Humanitarian Overview 2024

Southern and East Africa

People in Need at launch (Dec. 2023)
74.1 million
People Targeted at launch (Dec. 2023)
50.5 million
Requirements (US$) at launch (Dec. 2023)
$10.9 billion

In Eastern Africa, parts of Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are struggling to recover after five consecutive rainy seasons where the rainfall was below average resulting in one of the worst droughts in recent history with over 23 million people experiencing severe food insecurity. While famine was averted in the Horn of Africa, the humanitarian emergency continues to rage as the region faces the intensifying impact of climate change. In most parts of the region, the El Nino phenomenon has caused wetter-than-normal conditions, which have led to devastating river and flash flooding, thus increasing vulnerability, leading to widespread food insecurity, large-scale displacement, and major protection concerns by November 2023. These conditions have hindered recovery from droughts and triggered outbreaks of plant and livestock pests and waterborne diseases, while infrastructure damage would reduce access to essential services. In addition, continued conflicts and insecurity in Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and neighbouring countries continue to force millions of people to flee their homes and countries. The region hosts more than 14 million displaced people due to conflict and climate-related risks. This number includes refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons. Economic shocks, including high food prices, limit access to food and essential commodities.

Consequently, up to 65 million people will need humanitarian assistance across Eastern and Southern Africa in 2024, including over 51 million people facing high levels of acute food insecurity, and more than 8 million children and pregnant and lactating women facing acute malnutrition. The adverse impact of climate change is also increasing the risk of disease. Most of the countries that have been hardest hit by the El Nino-induced heavy rains and flooding are battling to contain diseases such as cholera outbreaks. Cases of measles are also on the rise. The combination of these factors is having devastating consequences for women and children, heightening the risk of gender-based violence, sexual exploitation and abuse and hampering children’s access to education. Meanwhile, in areas less impacted by flooding, the wetter-than-normal conditions will allow communities to recover from the effects of the prolonged 2020-2023 drought if livelihood assistance is scaled up. The Horn of Africa also remains a major route for mixed migration movements to and from the Arabian Peninsula and to Europe. Grave violations against civilians continue to be committed in the region, including conflict-related sexual violence and recruitment of child soldiers.

Somalia

Jubaland, Dalxiiska IDP site, Somalia

Habiba Abdikadir Zaid, 25, receives nutrition supplements for her baby at the Outpatient Therapeutic feeding Program.

OCHA/ Adedeji Ademigbuji

In Southern Africa, climate change wreaked havoc with significant intensity, while the war in Mozambique’s northern province of Cabo Delgado has continued to drive needs. The 2022–2023 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season was one of the deadliest and longest-lived tropical cyclone on record, mostly due to Cyclone Freddy. The cyclone, which hit Madagascar, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi, South Africa, Eswatini, and Zambia, between February and March 2023, left a trail of devastation and destruction in its wake; killing at least 876 people, affecting 2.7 million people and displacing 916,000 people. Despite marginal improvements in the food security situation due to scaled-up aid, the situation remains fragile in Madagascar. Seven districts—five of which are in the Grand Sud—are in IPC Phase 3 (Crisis).

Communicable disease outbreaks are on the rise across Eastern and Southern Africa with some linked to climate change. In Eastern Africa, cholera cases continued to be reported in Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan, while in Southern Africa cases were reported in Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zambia with Zimbabwe recording alarming spikes in cases, according to WHO. Measles cases have been recorded in multiple countries across the regions, as has anthrax in Zambia, scabies in Malawi and polio outbreaks in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe.

Madagascar

Ambalakondro, Madagascar

Women and children are the most vulnerable after cyclones Freddy (2023) and Batsirai (2022).

OCHA/Viviane Rakotoarivony

Projected situation in 2023 and beyond

Looking ahead to 2024, needs are expected to rise in Eastern Africa, driven by the impact of El Nino, economic shocks and multiple conflicts. Needs are also expected to rise in Southern Africa, driven by El Nino, cyclones and conflict in northern Mozambique:

  • In East Africa: With the October-December 2023 rains projected to be wetter than normal, the enhanced rains will continue to trigger flooding (riverine and flash floods) leading to human displacement and increased needs, damage to properties and crops in flood-prone areas, limited access to services, increased the risk of water-borne diseases and plant and livestock pests. Flood-displaced populations might be subject to food insecurity, water-borne diseases, protection, and gender-based violence (GBV) risks, as well as other humanitarian challenges. Meanwhile, enhanced rains from October through early 2024 may improve water, crop farming, and livestock conditions, support continued recovery from prolonged 2020-2023 drought, which is critical in alleviating food insecurity. Economic shocks, including high food prices, will continue to limit access to essential commodities. Conflict and insecurity in Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and other neighbouring will likely continue, while the threat of violent extremism persists, mainly in Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia. This combination of climate change, economic shocks, and conflict is therefore expected to remain the main driver of potentially devastating consequences for the East Africa region in 2024.
  • In Southern Africa: Climate projections indicate that most of the Southern Africa region is likely to receive below-normal rainfall during the October-December period due to El Nino. Drought conditions are expected to persist with dry conditions and above-normal temperatures expected to impact key cropping areas, during the crucial December-January planting period, impacting yields in 2024. Latest data shows that more than 20 million people across Southern Africa are estimated to face Crisis (IPC Phase 3) or worse food security outcomes in early 2024, with Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, and Madagascar’s Grand Sud likely to bear the brunt of El Niño’s adverse effects. Above-average rainfall projected for northern Mozambique and Malawi, north-eastern Zambia, and eastern Madagascar during the first quarter of 2024, may trigger floods due to El Nino conditions. At least two cyclones are expected to land on the eastern and western coasts of Madagascar between January and April 2024 and may result in devastation and worsening of the humanitarian situation, including in other cyclone-prone countries such as Mozambique. Communicable disease outbreaks such as cholera, measles, and others may continue to spike in cases due to wet conditions. Meanwhile, the conflict in northern Mozambique has the potential to expand geographically.

Southern and East Africa

Wad Medani, Aj Jazirah State, Sudan, Wad Almajzoub Paultry farms host about 1,800 new arrivals from Khartoum. The farm has been abandoned for more than a decade and displaced people sheltering there are suffering from the harsh conditions, including the presence of snakes, scorpions and insects, lack of water and latrines.

Sudan

HRP,
Sudan
8 December 2023

Ethiopia

  • Current People in Need
    21.4 million
  • Current People Targeted
    15.5 million
  • Current Requirements (US$)
    $3.24 billion
Go to plan details
People in Need at launch (Dec. 2023)
20.0 million
People Targeted at launch (Dec. 2023)
14.0 million
Requirements (US$) at launch (Dec. 2023)
$2.9 billion
Total population
126.5 milion
Income level
Low income
INFORM Severity Index
4 / High
Consecutive appeals
2017 - 2024

Crisis overview and projections

Humanitarian assistance remains an essential lifeline for 20 million Ethiopians who shoulder the weight of multi-faceted humanitarian situations driven by man-made and natural hazards, including conflict, climatic shocks (drought and floods), as well as disease outbreaks. Many parts of the country have been or continue to be ravaged by hostilities, resulting in prolonged displacements of currently 4.5 million people and enormous humanitarian needs. This, for Ethiopia, comes on top of being the third largest refugee hosting African country with over 942,000 refugees assisted across 24 active camps and sites.

Ethiopia

Kobe, Ethiopia

Farhiya Abdi Hassan (left), a refugee from Somalia and a host community member, Ilama Rashiid Ibrahim (right) take a rest from farming potatoes, they are both beneficiaries of an agricultural cooperative.

UNHCR/Tiksa Negeri

Ethiopia has over the past several years been affected by recurring droughts, increasing in both duration and frequency. The most recent drought caused by six consecutive failed rainy seasons (2022-23) is considered the most severe one the country has seen in 40 years. Drought is a major driver of food insecurity, and while sufficient rainfall has given relief (water availability and pasture) to previously drought-affected areas, recovery from the drought will take several years. In contrast, excessive seasonal rains have led to floods (March – May), displacing tens of thousands of people and causing additional livelihood and infrastructure loss. In addition, weather forecasts indicate that El Niño weather events in late 2023 and early 2024 will lead to more heavy rainfall and flooding (as observed in September and November), which will likely increase the number of new IDPs and risks to increase humanitarian needs, including the spread of water borne diseases. The ongoing cholera outbreak is considered the longest ever recorded in the country, since the existence of the disease was established in August 2022.

Due to both domestic and global economic shocks, the inflation rate in Ethiopia is among the highest recorded globally at over 30 per cent. As a result, prices of essential commodities have soared while the purchasing power of Ethiopians continues to be eroded. Allegations of widespread food aid diversion and its impact on the food aid distribution have deepened pre-existing vulnerabilities and contributed to food insecurity in the country. The manifestation of high malnutrition levels is also observed amid food insecurity, along with lack of sufficient nutrition response.

Ethiopia

Oromia Region, Ethiopia

Hassan works at a cholera treatment centre and is training to disinfect sites. This work is a vital part of response to the ongoing outbreak.
"It's all about serving my community, that's what makes me happy, playing my part in saving lives.”

OCHA/Ciara Wallace

Response priorities in 2024

In order to meet the high needs in 2024, in light of decrease in expected funds for 2024, partners will prioritize response to new events/crisis, acute humanitarian needs in areas where intersectoral severity is at least extreme, and to the needs of people that have been identified to face extreme sectoral deprivation. At the same time, humanitarian partners will be strengthening the linkages with development and peace partners to work toward achieving sustainable solutions through focusing on critical resilience activities that were part of the Humanitarian Response Plans (HRPs) in the previous years. Furthermore, immediate resumption of food distribution in a principled, targeted, and accountable manner is a top priority for all partners. Additional priorities for 2024 include cholera prevention and control, nutrition response, immediate support to facilitate voluntary IDP returns in safety and dignity, facilitating unimpeded access and delivery of lifesaving humanitarian workers and supplies.

Madagascar

  • Current People in Need
    2.3 million
  • Current People Targeted
    1.6 million
  • Current Requirements (US$)
    $162.2 million
People in Need at launch (Dec. 2023)
2.3 million
People Targeted at launch (Dec. 2023)
1.6 million
Requirements (US$) at launch (Dec. 2023)
$90.5 million
Total population
30.3 million
Income level
Low income
INFORM Severity Index
3 / Medium
Consecutive appeals
2021 - 2024

Crisis overview and projections

Approximately 2.3 million people in Madagascar needed urgent humanitarian assistance in 2023, extending through the first half of 2024. The prolonged drought in the Great South and consecutive tropical cyclones in the Great Southeast of Madagascar (including Batsirai and Emnati in early 2022, followed by tropical cyclone Freddy in 2023) resulted in significant damages. The reverberations of the war in Ukraine have further exacerbated the humanitarian situation in the region. Based on the results of the July IPC Acute Food Insecurity assessment in 2023, approximately 16% of the population (over a million people) in the 22 analyzed districts are grappling with acute food insecurity. In the period from October to December 2023, it is projected that the number of people suffering from severe acute food insecurity (IPC phase 3 and above) will increase to 1.32 million, affecting 20 per cent of the population in the analyzed areas, including 79,000 people in emergency phase (IPC phase 4). It is expected that the situation will worsen during the upcoming food shortage period (January to April 2024), with more than 1.7 million people facing high levels of acute food insecurity. The main factor contributing to this deterioration is the El Nino phenomenon.

Acute malnutrition, resulting from the consequences of droughts and cyclones, continues to be critical. A SMART survey, conducted in May 2023, indicated a worsening nutritional situation, with a combined prevalence of global acute malnutrition at 10.7%, compared to 8.7% in 2022. One in every 10 children under the age of 5 is suffering from acute malnutrition. The youngest children, under 2 years old, are the most affected, with 17.2 per cent suffering from acute malnutrition. Specifically, support must increase by 60 per cent to address the 58,000 expected cases of SAM over the next 12 months according to the IPC. Additionally, coverage of prevention activities and MAM treatment remains significantly weak, and many support sites are non-functional due to an ongoing lack of inputs and supervision of community agents.

Madagascar

Ambalakondro, Mananjary, Madagascar

A resident of Ambalakondro village takes shelter under the roof of a house following Cyclone Freddy.

OCHA/Viviane Rakotoarivony

The WASH sector estimates that nearly 1.4 million people require WASH assistance, including over one million people in the Grand South and over 400 thousand people in the Grand South-East. Despite some improvement in the WASH sector, chronic challenges persist such as access to safe drinking water and sanitation services in the areas most affected by drought and cyclones, as well as the number of people in IPC Phase 3 or higher in the 6 districts of the Grand South and the 3 districts of the Grand South-East.

School dropout rates among children and adolescents in the Great South remain among the highest in Madagascar. This occurs in a context of persistent poverty, despite the expectations of improved food and nutritional security. The education system also faces a cumulative issue of teacher and student absenteeism. In the Great South-East, only 24.7 per cent of the schools that were damaged have been reconstructed or rehabilitated. The combined effects of cyclones and food security issues have contributed to the risk of children and adolescents dropping out of school, and this risk is expected to persist in the upcoming school year of 2023-2024.

Madagascar

Manampotsy, Vatovavy, Madagascar

A medical team visits a person with a leg injury.

OCHA/Viviane Rakotoarivony

The people of Madagascar have faced significant food and nutritional challenges due to drought and cyclones since 2020. These challenges have forced people to resort to negative survival practices. The persistence of taboos and practices that violate the rights of already vulnerable population has exacerbated the situation. Protection strategies are needed to address the needs of people facing risks which include chronic malnutrition, physical violence, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation and abuse, discrimination, early marriage, unwanted or early pregnancies. For people in need of protection, the scarcity of resources and continued uncertainty about their situation contributes to constant and increased levels of stress and anxiety.

In the Great South and Great South East of Madagascar, ongoing humanitarian crises continue to severely affect the lives of the population and their access to essential social services, particularly healthcare. These crises pose persistent humanitarian risks, and the most vulnerable populations are finding it increasingly difficult to access health services. The health situation is deteriorating, leading to an increase in communicable and life-threatening diseases like malaria, acute respiratory infections (ARI), diarrhea, and poliomyelitis. The use of maternal and neonatal health services has decreased, with antenatal care (4 CPN) coverage dropping from 47 per cent to 4 per cent in the Great South East and from 55 per cent to 52 per cent in the Great South.

Response priorities in 2024

In 2024, humanitarian assistance aims to reach 1.6 million people, comprising 631,000 in the Grand Sud-Est and 970,000 in the Grand Sud. The primary goal of this response is to prevent loss of life, with a particular focus on children under five years old, pregnant, and lactating women, and girls. This includes both the treatment and prevention of acute malnutrition. Furthermore, efforts are dedicated to enhancing food security and restoring the livelihoods of the most vulnerable communities. A vital aspect of this response involves providing essential healthcare services, especially in maternal health, and ensuring the continuity of basic social services, including access to water, hygiene, sanitation, prevention, and case management related to protection issues, to prevent the adoption of harmful coping mechanisms. The humanitarian response plan will also encompass anticipatory action activities designed to forestall any further worsening of the already fragile situation, considering the potential risks associated with the El Nino phenomenon. Most organizations have a presence in the targeted areas, with established offices, staff, and operational logistics resources.

Aid in Action

UNFPA and WFP join forces to meet soaring reproductive health and nutrition needs in southern Madagascar

Madagascar
Amboasary, Grand Sud, Madagascar
Women wait to receive sexual and reproductive health consultations from UNFPA-supported medical staff. At the same time, a WFP food donation takes place to help stem a devastating food crisis affecting some 3 million people in the region.

Amboasary/Grand Sud, Madagascar – Just weeks away from giving birth to her fifth child, Homoroe Haova, 33, looked down at her stomach and smiled, reassured she could give birth safely as well as feed her children in the coming weeks. Ms. Haova was among 800 women waiting in line to meet with UNFPA-supported reproductive health specialists who were visiting her village in Madagascar’s drought-stricken Grand Sud region.

Midwives on site operated from three mobile health clinics procured with generous support from the government of Japan. The clinics are among eight UNFPA-supported vehicles currently deployed in Madagascar, travelling thousands of kilometres over rough terrain to reach even the least accessible areas. In adjacent maternity tents set up beside the local health centre, UNFPA-supported medical staff issued family planning advice as social workers raised awareness on gender-based violence.

Meanwhile just a few metres away, hundreds of women, most of them heads of household, gathered to collect WFP rations of rice, vegetables and cooking oil to cover their families’ food needs for the following two weeks. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) reports that of nearly 3 million people living in the Grand Sud region, half need urgent food assistance.

Recurrent and relentless droughts have deprived women and girls of any means of providing for themselves or their children. Already prone to climate disasters such as cyclones, floods and drought, Madagascar experienced its worst drought in 40 years in 2021 and in the first few months of 2022 has already seen cyclones destroy thousands of homes and livelihoods.

Full story

Mozambique

  • Current People in Need
    2.3 million
  • Current People Targeted
    1.7 million
  • Current Requirements (US$)
    $413.4 million
People in Need at launch (Dec. 2023)
2.3 million
People Targeted at launch (Dec. 2023)
1.7 million
Requirements (US$) at launch (Dec. 2023)
$413.4 million
Total population
33.9 million
Income level
Low income
INFORM Severity Index
4 / High
Consecutive appeals
2019 - 2024

Crisis overview and projections

In 2023, the humanitarian situation in northern Mozambique was marked by the steady return of IDPs to their home districts. People return for various reasons including an improved security situation, the desire to reunite with families and secure land, cultivation of crops as well as an improvement in living conditions. By August, the number of returnees stood at more than 570,000 people, while the number of IDPs stood at approximately 670,000 people. People have returned to the area of origin in northeastern Cabo Delgado while the bulk of IDPs remain concentrated in the districts of Pemba, Metuge and Mueda. Over half of those who are displaced live in host communities, including 160,000 in Pemba, others are in displacement sites. IDPs have endured violence and multiple waves of displacement over the last years and continue to rely on humanitarian assistance for survival, the majority do not have land tenure security. Communities hosting IDPs often face similar vulnerabilities and need humanitarian assistance.

Mozambique

Mozambique

Gisela, 9, Isabela, 6, and Eduardo, 9, pump water from a well next to the health centre where their families are receiving materials, from UNICEF, to treat water and prevent cholera following Cyclone Freddy.

UNICEF/Alfredo Zuniga

The climate crisis remains a key driver of vulnerability, as Mozambique is among the top three countries in Africa most exposed to extreme climate shocks. In 2023, Tropical Cyclone Freddy, the longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record, hit Mozambique twice bringing with it destructive wind and extreme rainfall, affecting more than one million people. The forecast for the 2023/2024 rainy season is below-average rainfall in southern and central Mozambique due to the effects of El Nino, which could potentially delay the start of the rainy season. Average to above-average rainfall is expected in northern Mozambique. Projections estimate that from October 2023 to March 2024, about 3.1 million people in Mozambique will be in IPC 3 and 220,000 people in IPC 4. According to the Mozambique's National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction, 1.8 million people are projected to be at risk of cyclones, floods and drought in the 2023/2024 rainy/cyclonic season.

A total of 2,250,000 million people are estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance. This includes 1,700,000 people in need as a result of conflict and 554,000 people are at risk of natural hazards in the rainy/cyclonic season that runs from October to April.

Mozambique

Namitangurini, Nicoadala, Zambezia, Mozambique

This resettled community was affected last year by Cyclone Gombe and has once again been affected by Cyclone Freddy. The UN ensuring the continuity and accessibility of basic health services and responding to gender-based violence, with a particular focus on women.

WFP/ Denise Colletta

Response priorities in 2024

In 2023, 1.5 million people were reached with some form of assistance. Of these, 1.3 million people were reached with food assistance. Declining funding levels meant that the food ration was halved to continue to meet the needs of people. Some 544,000 people were reached with water, sanitation and hygiene services and 245,000 people benefitted from protection services. Funding shortfalls have, however, made it difficult to provide second line response. In 2024 there will be limited ability to provide a multisectoral package of assistance to IDPs. The rapid response mechanism approach enabled the provision of immediate assistance including food, shelter and WASH to returnees; funding shortfalls have, however, made it difficult to provide second line response. In response to the crisis brought by the compounding effects of Cyclone Freddy, floods and cholera, humanitarian organization assisted 855,000 people with water, sanitation and hygiene services and 500,000 people with food assistance.

In 2024, a total of 1.7 million people are targeted including 1.3 million people in conflict affected areas and another 429,623 for support in terms of early action and anticipatory action to mitigate against disaster across the country.

Conflict related response will geographically focus on meeting the most severe needs. This will include areas experiencing the highest number of returns, people who are landless or face the threat of eviction and areas that have seen the most significant infrastructure damage.

Aid in Action

Expanding efforts to promote localization

Mozambique
Pemba, Mozambique
A group of young people wear hard hats and yellow vests, they are displaced people and longtime residents of Alto Gingone. A partnership with WFP and AVSI has enabled them to work together, learning to improve the drainage system in their neighborhood.

In 2023, the humanitarian community in Mozambique redoubled efforts to promote localization. For example, 35 per cent of the CERF funds recently allocated to Mozambique reached NNGOs, in an effort to ensure a greater humanitarian footprint and reach affected communities. The efforts initiated in 2023 will be further expanded in 2024, including through (i) equitable partnerships; (ii) capacity strengthening; (iii) more inclusion and participation in key coordination and decision-making fora; (iv) greater funding opportunities.

Somalia

  • Current People in Need
    6.9 million
  • Current People Targeted
    5.2 million
  • Current Requirements (US$)
    $1.59 billion
People in Need at launch (Dec. 2023)
6.9 million
People Targeted at launch (Dec. 2023)
5.1 million
Requirements (US$) at launch (Dec. 2023)
$1.7 billion
Total population
18.7 million
Income level
Low income
INFORM Severity Index
5 / Very high
Consecutive appeals
1998 - 2024

Crisis overview and projections

The humanitarian situation in Somalia remains extremely concerning. While Somalia managed to walk back from the brink of famine in late 2022 and early 2023, close to four million people continue to be food insecure and in need of assistance. This is against a backdrop of decades of conflict, ongoing military operations and climatic shocks displacing thousands of people every month. Excessive seasonal rains, flash and riverine floods have been particularly acute this year due to a concurrence of El Niño conditions and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole phenomenon, resulting in loss of life, the destruction of property, loss of access to basic services, further displacements, and an aggravation of the prevalence of cholera and other water-borne diseases.

Around four million people are internally displaced in Somalia due to the impact of climate change, conflict and insecurity, and other factors. Of those, more than 80 per cent are women and children, who face significant protection risks, which are heightened by pre-existing inequities. Limited access to basic services such as shelters and food renders women and girls more vulnerable to gender-based violence and disrupts their ability to live in dignity. Only 15 per cent of all pregnant women give birth in a health center; an additional 15 per cent are likely to experience a pregnancy-related complication, with a 2 per cent rate of stillbirths. Only 8 per cent of those who are newly displaced are estimated to have access to adequate shelters. Furthermore, there is an increase in eviction rates of displaced people from the sites where they have settled. Between January and October 2023, more than 170,000 people were forcibly evicted, according to the Housing Land and Property partners.

Somalia

Buurey Manaas IDP site, Baidoa Southwest State, Somalia.

A lady stands in front of her shelter at an IDP site which is home to over 130 displaced families. The site is located in a low-lying area, heavy rain has caused flooding, causing people to flee to higher ground.

OCHA/Ayub Ahmed

Humanitarian assistance has prevented worse food security and nutrition outcomes in many areas, but the response was challenged, in part, by funding shortfalls across all sectors. As of September, humanitarian partners have reached cumulatively about 8.4 million people with some form of assistance. The provision of humanitarian food and cash assistance has been declining throughout 2023 as the funding shortages forced humanitarian partners to scale down their response, prioritizing the most vulnerable in areas with the greatest severity of needs. Around 1.5 million people gained access to water through temporary water supply; more than three million people accessed essential and life-saving health services, with 1.3 million acutely malnourished children and women reached with life-saving nutrition treatment services. More than 300,000 vulnerable children, more than half of whom live in the most severely affected districts of Somalia, were supported through Education in Emergencies.

It is currently estimated that 6.9 million people, a reduction of 16 per cent from last year, will require humanitarian assistance in 2024. Of those, this plan targets 5.1 million, for total requirement of $1.7 billion.

Somalia

Qardho, north-east Somalia

New Camp displacement site was stablished in 2011. It is home to about 2,400 displaced people who are mainly displaced from Somalia and Ethiopia. The majority depend on casual work to make a living.

OCHA/Basma Ourfali

Response priorities in 2024

In 2023, due to the looming famine, over 92 per cent of the population in need was targeted by the humanitarian response plan. For 2024, the humanitarian community has agreed that more focused targeting should take place, in view of the global situation. Therefore, around 70 per cent of the people in need will be targeted. Discussions on synergies with partners working on the longer term should be revitalized to ensure that people can be better lifted out of poverty and live sustainable, dignified lives.

The security landscape in Somalia is shifting as a result of the ongoing security transition, with anticipated changes in the architecture of international security assistance post-2024. The potential for shifting patterns of insecurity will require adaptability by humanitarians to stay and deliver and promote acceptance for humanitarian interventions in all parts of the country.

Preparedness and anticipatory measures should be implemented to mitigate the adverse effects of the seasonal rains and related flooding.

South Sudan

  • Current People in Need
    9 million
  • Current People Targeted
    5.9 million
  • Current Requirements (US$)
    $1.79 billion
People in Need at launch (Dec. 2023)
9.0 million
People Targeted at launch (Dec. 2023)
6.0 million
Requirements (US$) at launch (Dec. 2023)
$1.8 billion
Total population
12.4 million
Income level
Low income
INFORM Severity Index
5 / Very high
Consecutive appeals
2010 - 2024

Crisis overview and projections

The people of South Sudan continue to face a complex humanitarian crisis, driven by escalating violence, economic instability, climatic shocks, and lack of or poor-quality basic services. This has led to acute food insecurity, disease outbreaks, and limited humanitarian access to people in need. In 2024, an estimated 9 million( including refugees) people, including 2 million women and 4.6 million children will need critical humanitarian assistance and protection. Conflict, insecurity and climatic shocks remain the primary drivers of humanitarian needs. Inter-communal violence, crime, and impunity have led to displacement and restricted access to basic services. Over 90 per cent of civilian casualties in early 2023 resulted from inter-communal violence. Forced migration compounds these issues, with over 2 million internally displaced and more than 2.2 million refugees, in addition to 333,300 refugees hosted within South Sudan. The conflict in Sudan in April 2023 is projected to lead to the arrival of nearly 520,000 South Sudanese returnees and over 80,000 incoming refugees by December 2023. In addition, food security situation remains precarious due to flooding, ongoing conflict, displacement, and the rising cost of living. Approximately 7.1 million people (55.6 per cent of the total population) will be in crisis-level or more severe acute food insecurity especially during the lean season from April to July 2024. Communicable diseases, particularly measles along with malaria, acute watery diarrhoea and maternal and neonatal health concerns, remain major contributors to illness and death. South Sudan also grapples with severe climate change vulnerabilities, ranking as the world's second most climate-exposed nation. A staggering 95 per cent of the population relies on climate-sensitive livelihoods, heightening vulnerability to water and food scarcity, sanitation issues, and resource-related conflicts. Protracted conflicts and economic challenges severely hinder access to essential services. Only 7 per cent of the population has access to electricity, 10 per cent have improved sanitation, and 70 per cent lack basic healthcare.

South Sudan

Aweil West County, Northern Bahr le Ghazal State, South Sudan

A South Sudanese returnee woman sits with her two children at Wadwil transit site for returnees in Aweil West County, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State.

OCHA/Iramaku Vundru Wilfred

Response priorities in 2024

In 2023, partners were able to reach 4.9 million people with at least one form of humanitarian assistance (73 per cent of those targeted). In 2024, humanitarian partners will work towards the following strategic objectives:

  1. Vulnerable crises-affected people have reduced morbidity and mortality through equitable, safe, and dignified access to life-saving assistance to meet their needs.
  2. Vulnerable crises-affected people’s protection risks are mitigated as humanitarians uphold a commitment to the centrality of protection in humanitarian action informed by communities’ priorities.
  3. Vulnerable people’s capacity to withstand the impact of shocks is increased, and humanitarian, development and peace collaboration opportunities are optimized.
South Sudan

Rubkona County, Unity State, South Sudan

A returnee woman carries water from a water point at a transit centre. Increasing numbers of people are arriving, mostly South Sudanese returnees.

OCHA/Alioune Ndiaye

The target population in this response plan results from a rigorous analysis and vulnerability criteria, establishing clear boundaries for the humanitarian caseload. The HRP target for 2024 has been refined from 7.4 million people in 2023 to 6.0 million (including refugees), considering the challenges of access, security, capacity, and funding constraints. These strategic approaches ensure assistance is directed to those with the most pressing needs, also transitioning towards cost-effective cash-based interventions to promote local markets. Innovative approaches such as the Flagship Initiative and Area-Based Leadership will enhance partnerships aimed to promote community resilience. Throughout the implementation, the Inter-Cluster Coordination Group (ICCG) will maintain monthly analysis through the needs analysis working group to prioritize areas with the greatest needs.

Anticipated tensions and conflicts leading up to the 2024 presidential elections are likely to undermine humanitarian operations and access to vulnerable communities. Climate-related issues, such as the El Nino event, may persist through 2024 and potentially into 2025, causing above-average rainfall and severe floods displacing thousands of people. The looming risk of inadequate funding may force significant portions of people in crisis levels -IPC-3 into emergency levels - IPC-4 due to limited access to sustainable livelihood opportunities.

Aid in Action

Severity analysis and mapping tool

Map

The South Sudan Needs Analysis Working Group (NAWG)’s innovative severity analysis and mapping tool has been instrumental to inform cluster and partner prioritization of their response efforts. Through a predefined set of indicators, the NAWG assesses the humanitarian situation in various counties, categorizing them into different severity bands. This needs severity ranking serves as a crucial asset for clusters and their partners in their prioritization and advocacy efforts. Furthermore, the severity mapping is a valuable resource for the South Sudan Humanitarian Fund and other donors, guiding their prioritization and resource allocation decisions.

Sudan

  • Current People in Need
    24.8 million
  • Current People Targeted
    14.7 million
  • Current Requirements (US$)
    $2.70 billion
Go to plan details
People in Need at launch (Dec. 2023)
24.8 million
People Targeted at launch (Dec. 2023)
14.7 million
Requirements (US$) at launch (Dec. 2023)
$2.7 billion
Total population
48.1 million
Income level
Low income
INFORM severity index
5 / Very high
Consecutive appeals
1993 - 2024

Crisis overview and projections

After years of protracted crisis, Sudan plunged into a conflict of alarming scale in mid-April 2023 when fierce fighting between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) broke out initially in the capital Khartoum, but quickly expanded to other areas across the country. The current bout of violence and insecurity has resulted in high numbers of civilian casualties, extensive damage to critical infrastructure and facilities as well as large-scale displacement, with over 6.1 million people forced to leave their homes in search of safety elsewhere.Together with the 3.8 million IDPs, from past internal conflict, Sudan currently faces the largest internal displacement crisis in the world and the most significant child displacement crisis, with 3 million children displaced inside and outside the country.

The hostilities have triggered a massive deterioration in humanitarian needs across the country, increasingly hampering access to food, water, shelter, health care, cash, fuel, and other basic services for millions of people. Nearly one in three people in Sudan could soon become food insecure, while the already-fragile health system is in tatters, with looming disease outbreaks, including an alarming cholera outbreak, as well as dengue fever, measles and malaria. Reports of conflict-related sexual violence are widespread. A generation of children risk missing out on a full education. High insecurity and looting of humanitarian assets and offices has compromised operational capacity and humanitarian access to key locations, particularly in Darfur, the Kordofan states and Khartoum.

Sudan

Kassala, Sudan

WFP food distribution at Wad Sherife refugee camp.

OCHA/Alaa El Kheir

In 2024, every second person in Sudan (24.8 million people) will need humanitarian assistance. While this overall figure remains on par with estimates in 2023, the “catastrophic” severity of needs has been observed now in 17 localities (in comparison to 14 localities estimated in May 2023) almost half of which are in the Darfur region. It is important to note that the severity of needs in this case was primarily driven by widespread and systematic violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.

The possible evolution of the crisis remains highly unpredictable with crossline movement of staff and supplies experiencing increasing obstacles. Civilians, particularly women, children and girls, will continue to bear the brunt of the crisis if no lasting political solution is in sight.

Sudan

Kassala, Sudan

Alhumaria school serves now as child friendly safe learning space, targeting mostly IDP children who came from Khartoum to Kassala.

OCHA/Alaa El Kheir

Response priorities in 2024

While the level of received funding in 2023 is modest compared to the unprecedented scale of needs, the humanitarian community has done its utmost to address urgent priorities, reaching five million people with some form of humanitarian assistance.

The 2024 humanitarian response requires US$2.7 billion to accelerate the scale up of lifesaving and protection assistance and avert a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation for 14.7 million people. Targeting and the financial requirement to meet them have been tempered by a constrictive operating environment marred by unstable, unpredictable and, at times, unsafe access. The HCT decided, where appropriate, to reinstate the activities that seeks to restore safe and unhindered access to critical basic services and livelihood opportunities, which were paused in April 2023, to prevent further erosion of coping capacity among the most vulnerable and lay the foundation for recovery in the hope of an improvement in the situation. The response covers the entire country, however it prioritizes the critical needs of the most vulnerable, particularly those displaced and hosting communities, in the areas where high severity of sectoral needs is identified and where high severity of needs across sectors overlap.

This plan reflects the carefully balanced approaches of prioritization and feasibility with consideration of the current realities of access and operational capacity. It sets out where the needs are, where they can be reached and how this can be done feasibly and effectively without stretching existing capacity too thin. In light of the highly fluid operational context, the HCT will regularly monitor the implementation of the response plan and adjust the course of it throughout 2024 as the operational environment evolves. In case of significant changes, including improved access to areas defined as “hard-to-reach” at the time of planning, this response plan will be revised to reflect additional actions and financial resources required to bolster the response in a timely manner and to sustain and expand access to people in need.

References

  1. Common Country Analysis
  2. https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/04/1116872
  3. IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix as of 2 November 2023.
  4. Of over 6.1 million displaced, 4.85 million were internally displaced – majority of whom were originally from Khartoum areas - and 1.3 million crossing the border to neighbouring countries (Egypt, Libya, Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan and Ethiopia). Sixty-five per cent of arrivals tracked in those countries were Sudanese nationals and 35 per cent were foreign nationals and returnees.
  5. https://www.unicef.org/sudan/press-releases/unicef-statement-over-200-days-war-leaves-generation-children-sudan-brink
  6. The Sudanese Federal Ministry of Health in September and October declared a cholera outbreak in Gedaref, Khartoum, South Kordofan and Aj Jazirah states, with over 1,600 suspected cholera cases and 67 associated deaths reported as of 22 October.
  7. Severity 5 (catastrophic) in Sudan JIAF 2.0 application is driven by protection concerns and are the localities with more than 100, 000 IDPs, hard-to-reach and experiencing recent violent attacks.