Hunger in Africa:
A preventable crisis fueled by conflict and climate

Across Africa, millions of families are facing a daily battle for survival. Hunger remains one of the most urgent and solvable challenges of our time—yet year after year, children go to bed with empty stomachs and parents are forced to make impossible choices.

As of 2024, more than 282 million people in Africa are undernourished, according to the United Nations. That’s nearly one in five people across the continent. The hardest hit are communities in areas ravaged by conflict, drought and economic instability—circumstances largely outside their control.

But hunger is not inevitable. With the right support, families can recover, rebuild and thrive. That’s where your compassion and commitment make all the difference.

Take action!

Your generous gift will support the most vulnerable children who need you most.

Donate to Africa    Sponsor a child in Africa now

Emergency hotspots: Where hunger hits hardest

Today, several regions in Africa are facing emergency levels of hunger and food insecurity, driven by conflict, displacement and worsening climate conditions. According to the World Food Programme and the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), millions are at risk of famine in countries such as:

  • South Sudan: More than 7 million people—over half the population—are facing crisis or worse levels of hunger. Years of conflict, flooding and economic collapse have made it nearly impossible for families to access food or safe water.

  • Somalia: After five consecutive failed rainy seasons and ongoing conflict, over 6 million people are facing severe food insecurity. Nearly half of all children under 5 are acutely malnourished.

  • Ethiopia: Conflict in the northern regions, combined with drought in the south, has left more than 20 million people in need of food assistance in 2024.

  • Sudan: The ongoing civil conflict that began in 2023 has triggered mass displacement and disrupted markets and agriculture. As of early 2024, at least 18 million people face acute hunger, including 5 million at emergency levels.

Other countries, including Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, Chad and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, are also contending with serious hunger crises—each worsened by violence, displacement and economic instability.

Climate change, conflict and economic shocks: A deadly combination

Recurring droughts, floods, and other climate-related disasters are compounding the impact of armed conflict. The result: families lose crops, livestock and livelihoods—pushing them further into poverty and food insecurity. Rising food prices, inflation and global supply chain disruptions, worsened by the war in Ukraine, have only deepened the crisis.

In 2024, Africa is home to 12 of the 20 hunger hotspots identified by the FAO and WFP as at highest risk of catastrophic food insecurity. Many of these countries rely heavily on humanitarian aid, yet funding is falling short. In several emergencies, only a fraction of the required food assistance has been delivered.

Famine vs. chronic hunger: What's the difference?

Famine is the most extreme form of hunger. It is declared when:

  • At least 20% of households face extreme food shortages,

  • At least 30% of the population is acutely malnourished, and

  • Two or more people per 10,000 die each day from hunger-related causes.

But famine is only the tip of the iceberg. Chronic hunger—the daily reality of millions—is more widespread and insidious. People experiencing chronic hunger do not get enough food over time to meet their energy needs for a healthy, active life. According to the FAO, that’s an intake of fewer than 1,800 calories per day.

In sub-Saharan Africa, nearly 30% of the population suffers from food insecurity. Poverty, gender inequality, and lack of access to land, education or healthcare all contribute to this crisis.

Donate to Africa    Sponsor a child

 

The impact on children and families

Hunger weakens immune systems, stunts growth and impairs cognitive development—especially in young children. More than 45 million children under age 5 worldwide are suffering from wasting, the most life-threatening form of malnutrition. Nearly two-thirds of them live in sub-Saharan Africa.

Families often skip meals, sell assets or pull children from school just to cope. Without urgent support, a cycle of poverty, illness and hunger continues—and future generations bear the cost.

You can help turn hunger into hope

Despite the scale of the crisis, the solutions are within reach. Community-based nutrition programs, emergency food aid, sustainable agriculture, and women’s empowerment initiatives are already making a difference.

At SOS Children's Villages, we work alongside local communities to:

  • Provide nutritious meals and emergency food kits for families in crisis

  • Treat and prevent child malnutrition with ready-to-use therapeutic food

  • Support small-scale farmers with seeds, tools and training

  • Advocate for systemic change to address the root causes of hunger

With your support, children don’t have to go to bed hungry. Families don’t have to flee their homes just to survive. Your generosity helps us deliver life-saving aid where it’s needed most—quickly, effectively and with dignity.

Support this work

Malnutrition in Africa: A crisis that steals childhoods

Malnutrition remains one of the gravest threats to children in Africa. In communities where food is scarce or unaffordable, children are often the first to suffer—and the last to recover. Every child who goes hungry represents not only a preventable tragedy but also a lost opportunity for a stronger future.

Malnutrition robs children of their strength, their ability to learn, and their chance to grow up healthy. It is a leading cause of child mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, and a major factor in lifelong physical and cognitive impairment. But the good news is that hunger and malnutrition are solvable. Your support can—and does—save lives.

Child hunger by the numbers

  • 45 million children under age 5 suffer from wasting, the most dangerous form of malnutrition.

  • 148 million are stunted—too short for their age due to chronic malnutrition.

  • 90% of these children live in low- and middle-income countries, with the highest burden in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

  • In sub-Saharan Africa, 32% of children under age 5 are stunted, and 7.5% are wasted, according to the latest UNICEF estimates.

  • Nearly 1 in 10 children in the region dies before age 5, often from preventable conditions made deadly by malnutrition. In countries like Sierra Leone, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, child mortality remains heartbreakingly high.

Malnutrition weakens immune systems and increases vulnerability to diseases like pneumonia, malaria and diarrhea. Nearly half of all deaths in children under 5 are linked to undernutrition.

From millennium goals to sustainable development: A shared global responsibility

In 2000, the United Nations launched the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), aiming to cut hunger in half by 2015. While progress was made, the target was not fully met—largely due to conflict, climate shocks and population growth outpacing food systems in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa.

Today, the fight continues under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted in 2015. Goal 2—Zero Hunger—calls for the complete eradication of hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2030.

This is a bold and necessary goal. But we cannot get there without addressing the root causes of hunger and investing in long-term solutions. And we cannot do it without you.

Progress and setbacks in the fight against hunger

There have been hard-won victories over the past two decades:

  • Steady declines in under-5 mortality across much of the continent

  • Improved access to antiretroviral therapy for people living with HIV, reducing its impact on household food security

  • Stronger economies and increased agricultural investment in several countries

  • Expanding community nutrition programs and fortified food distribution systems

But persistent setbacks threaten these gains:

  • Climate change continues to cause unpredictable droughts, floods and locust infestations that destroy crops and livelihoods

  • Armed conflict in countries like Sudan, Somalia, Mali and the DRC displaces families and disrupts food supplies

  • Inflation and global food price shocks have made essential staples unaffordable for millions

  • Gender inequality and lack of access to education prevent many women—who are often responsible for feeding families—from accessing the resources they need

The role of SOS Children’s Villages

SOS Children’s Villages is active in 46 countries across Africa, working to address hunger and malnutrition through both immediate relief and long-term development:

  • Emergency food assistance for families in crisis zones like Somalia, South Sudan, Nigeria and Ethiopia

  • Family strengthening programs that provide food, healthcare and livelihood support to help caregivers meet their children’s basic needs

  • Nutritional rehabilitation for malnourished children, using evidence-based treatments like ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF)

  • Early childhood development and education, ensuring children not only survive but thrive

Thanks to your generosity, we operate more than 140 SOS Villages across the continent, offering vulnerable children a loving home, regular meals, and access to school and medical care.

Support this work

Why hunger persists: Structural causes you can help address

Africa has the potential to feed itself. But structural barriers prevent food security from becoming a reality for millions:

  • Rapid population growth in sub-Saharan Africa means food production often fails to keep pace with need

  • Unfair global trade policies and subsidies make African farmers less competitive

  • Debt burdens and governance challenges undermine national efforts to invest in agriculture, education and health

  • Diseases like malaria and HIV reduce productivity and strain household resources

  • Armed conflict and displacement remain major drivers of hunger and instability

These are not insurmountable problems. But they require sustained action—and a global community that refuses to turn away.

You can help end hunger

Hunger is not inevitable. It’s a crisis we can solve with the right resources, policies and partnerships. Your donation helps us reach children and families with the support they urgently need—before it’s too late.

Together, we can break the cycle of hunger, ensure children grow up nourished and strong, and create communities that can withstand future shocks.

A world without hunger is possible. Let’s build it—together.

Donate now Sponsor a child