Africans are dying, and the world is silent. Contrary to how it may seem, crises don’t just end when the buzz dies. Africa frequently faces some of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, yet it remains largely overlooked, underrepresented, and neglected by the global community. Here are some current humanitarian crises going on in Africa.
Cameroon
Cameroon is going through multiple overlapping humanitarian crises. Separatist groups seeking independence (Ambazonia) have been clashing with government forces since around 2017, causing the deaths of over 6,000 people and displacing more than a million. Also, in the North of Cameroon, Boko Haram and allied groups have carried out deadly attacks since 2014, displacing hundreds of thousands of Cameroonians and hosting Nigerian refugees. According to UNICEF, over 2.1 million people are displaced inside Cameroon, including roughly half a million refugees and returnees. 2.5 million people face acute food shortages. Millions suffer from malnutrition, especially children, with 147,000 experiencing severe acute malnutrition in 2024.
Democratic Republic of Congo Eastern DRC has over 7 million internally displaced people, the largest such crisis in Africa according to the United Nations. The March 23 (M23) rebel group, backed by Rwanda, have captured key towns like Goma and Bukavu, increasing the level of displacement and unrest. Also, since 2013, another rebel group, Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), sponsored by foreign powers, have caused the deaths of Thousands of civilians and injured many. Around 25.6 million people face crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity, more than one-fourth of the population. 4.5 million children and pregnant or breastfeeding women are suffering from acute malnutrition.
Nigeria
In Nigeria, long-running conflict and terrorism have left over 8 million people internally displaced due to Boko Haram and Islamist insurgency in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe. Additionally, the regions face escalating violence, banditry in the northwest, and herder-farmer clashes in the central belt, displacing hundreds of thousands more. Thousands of people have been displaced from their homes due to attacks and reprisals. Entire villages have been razed, and many survivors now live in overcrowded IDP camps with little access to food, shelter, healthcare, or education. More recently, in Benue Yelewata, suspected armed herdsmen launched a deadly attack, burning people alive, leaving several people dead and many others injured. The government response has been slow, and survivors are left unprotected or ignored.
Somalia
Since 2021, Somalia has endured its worst drought in 40 years, affecting around 7.8 million people, causing 43,000 deaths in 2022 and displacing over 1 million people. As water and pasturelands dried up, many families, particularly pastoralists and farmers, were forced to already overcrowded camps with poor shelter, sanitation or water access. Violence by groups such as al‑Shabaab continues to disrupt agriculture, markets, and aid delivery; recent offensives add new casualties and displacement. Militants also impose “taxes” on displaced people and threaten humanitarian convoys.
