Eastern Africa experiencing world's worst humanitarian crises

The Eastern Africa region is experiencing some of the world's largest and worst humanitarian crises, driven by climate change, conflicts, political instability, diseases and economic shocks.

In a statement on Tuesday, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said almost 67 million people are in need of assistance in the region, including refugees and asylum seekers, accounting for more than 21 percent of the global humanitarian caseload.

The UN agency said more than 55 million people in Eastern Africa are facing acute hunger, of which 26 million are in Sudan, where famine was confirmed in North Darfur's Zamzam camp for internally displaced people.

Ethiopia is also experiencing dire food insecurity, while in South Sudan the number of people facing starvation is projected to more than double this year.

The UN agency said more than 2.6 million children under the age of five, face severe acute malnutrition in Ethiopia, Burundi, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan and Uganda.

The ongoing conflicts, mainly in Sudan, and the impact of climate change across the region continues to drive massive displacement, with more than 26 percent of the world's 75.9 million people living in internal displacement being in the region. Of the internally displaced persons in the region, more than 10 million are in Sudan.

Nearly 5.4 million refugees are now hosted in the region, more than fivefold increase in the last decade. Uganda hosts the highest number of refugees in Africa, at nearly 2 million and the fifth largest globally.

In addition to conflicts and climate change, diseases continue to stalk millions of people across Eastern Africa. Currently, 776 Mpox cases have been confirmed in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.

Additionally, Cholera remains a major public health concern, affecting Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda and Tanzania.

Measles outbreaks were also reported in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda as well as in South Sudan where 41 related deaths were reported this year, the UN agency said.