NAIROBI, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The total number of food insecure people in East and Central Africa hit 82.2 million, said the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a regional bloc, in a report released Friday.
The report suggested that the majority of the 82.2 million people live in the IGAD region, with 54.7 million in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ethiopia.
"Conflict remains the dominant driver of East Africa's food crisis, with about 39 million people across the IGAD region facing high levels of acute food insecurity. Conflict has resulted in critical destruction of infrastructure and main sources of food and income, aggravating the already dire food security conditions," the agencies said.
Food insecurity in the area is also worsened by climate shocks and hazards.
The institutions found that extreme weather and climate change like floods and droughts, which are now more severe and frequent, have become major drivers of food insecurity.
The IGAD member states, namely Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda, are home to over 29 million displaced individuals, mostly in Sudan, as a result of both conflict and climate-related risks, the report noted.
The food security situation may deteriorate as the region is expected to experience below-average rainfall during the October-December season.
According to the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Center, La Nina, associated with drought conditions in the eastern Horn of Africa, will likely emerge in late 2024 and persist through early 2025. ■