African Humanitarian Emergencies Underlooked: Reasons Behind the Ignored Humanitarian Crises in African Countries

In 2024, once again, African countries dominate the list of the world's most overlooked humanitarian nightmares. The nonprofit organization, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), has released a new report stating that Cameroon, Mozambique, and various other African nations are shouldering the brunt of violence, displacement, and utter invisibility from donors. This news comes at a time when the United States, previously known as the world's largest aid provider, has drastically slashed development funding this year. Aid agencies received only half of what they needed in 2024, and experts predict that 2025 will be even more dismal for those in need, as funding continues to dwindle.

The report highlights that millions of displaced people are facing food insecurity and lack of shelter primarily due to donor fatigue, inadequate media coverage, and an absence of political resolution. The NRC defines countries in crisis as those hosting over 200,000 displaced individuals and declared to be in severe crisis emergencies. After analyzing 34 countries, the most "invisible" according to the report were: Cameroon, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Burkina Faso, Mali, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Honduras, and Somalia.

In general, funding for humanitarian activities dropped significantly in 2024, with a staggering $25 billion shortfall between the required funding and what was delivered, allegedly leaving over half of all needs unmet. The countries analyzed in the report are plagued by violence, poor media coverage, and little progress on conflict resolution, disaster prevention, and diplomatic engagement.

Now, let's take a closer look at some of the most neglected African emergencies:

Cameroon

Cameroon has topped the list as the most neglected crisis globally. In the English-speaking northeast and northwest regions of Cameroon, a protracted civil war began in 2017. Thousands took to the streets to protest against the appointment of French-speaking judges and alleged discrimination from the Francophone-majority government. Heavy crackdowns to suppress the protests resulted in armed groups declaring independence, and the government in Yaounde declared war. Both the rebels and government forces have targeted civilians, with hundreds dying and thousands more being displaced internally or fleeing to neighboring Nigeria.

Ethiopia

Following the Tigray war in the country's north (2020-2022), intercommunal fighting in the Oromia and Amhara regions created a potent mixture of crises, pushing ten million people from their homes nationwide.

Mozambique

Political turmoil following hotly contested October elections saw protesters supporting the independent opposition candidate, Venancio Mondlane, shot dead by Mozambican state security. About 400 people died in the violence. Separately, ongoing attacks by the armed group affiliated with ISIL (ISIS-Mozambique) in the northern, oil-rich Cabo Delgado region have continued since 2022, displacing thousands and disrupting a billion-dollar oil and gas investment project.

Burkina Faso and Mali

Since 2015, more than two million people have been displaced in Burkina Faso due to the activities of violent armed groups like Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which aims to create a caliphate. Both armed groups and government forces are accused of attacking civilians perceived to be aiding the other side.

In neighboring Mali, analysts attribute the shrinking aid, in part, to the hostile stances of the leaders of the West African Sahel countries, including Niger, toward Western powers. Their hostility has extended to humanitarian groups, sometimes perceived as tied to Western nations, limiting aid.

Other African emergencies

Uganda: The country, itself not facing large-scale internal violence, is listed because it hosts the largest number of refugees in Africa - close to two million people from neighboring South Sudan, Sudan, and the DRC. Shrinking aid could escalate friction between local communities and refugees.
DRC: Decades of violence by armed groups and more recent offensives by the M23 group have seen hundreds of thousands displaced in the eastern DRC between 2024 and early 2025. The outbreak of Mpox in the same region in 2023 contributed to disruption. The African Union and the US are currently leading peace talks between the DRC government and neighboring Rwanda, accused of backing M23.
Somalia: Entrenched violence from the al-Shabab armed group and drought continue to displace people in the East African country. Somalia received "dangerously low" funding in 2024.

In conclusion, the ongoing humanitarian crises in Africa continue to be neglected due to several factors, such as lack of funding, media attention, and political engagement. These crises often go unnoticed because they fail to make headlines or are not seen as strategically critical by international partners. The African Union must take the lead in resolving the continent's multiple crises through political negotiations, reducing administrative and regulatory barriers hampering aid workers, and fostering political commitment to address these neglected emergencies.

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) reported that Cameroon, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Burkina Faso, Mali, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Honduras, and Somalia are among the most neglected humanitarian emergencies globally in 2024.
In Cameroon, a protracted civil war since 2017 in the English-speaking northeast and northwest regions has led to thousands of deaths and displacements, making it the most neglected crisis globally.
Ethiopia is grappling with crises following the Tigray war and intercommunal fighting, displacing ten million people nationwide as of 2024.
In Mozambique, political turmoil following the October elections and ongoing attacks by ISIL-affiliated armed groups have caused violence, deaths, and displacements, particularly in the northern Cabo Delgado region.
Burkina Faso and Mali have experienced displacement due to violent armed groups, with more than two million people displaced in Burkina Faso since 2015.
Uganda, among other African emergencies, is listed due to hosting the largest number of refugees in Africa, with nearly two million people from neighboring countries, despite not facing large-scale internal violence. Reduced aid could escalate tension between local communities and refugees.