16 August 2017•Update: 17 August 2017
By Addis Getachew
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia
Africa’s humanitarian crises have continued to worsen in 2017, said a report released by the United Nations on Wednesday ahead of the World Humanitarian Day.
“Twenty million Africans have been displaced from their homes and 44 million are acutely food insecure,” the report stated.
It said the population displacement crisis has reached record levels with over 20 million Africans now officially registered as refugees, internally displaced, or seeking asylum.
Almost 75 percent of the continent’s displaced persons were from 5 countries; namely the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan -- the countries that are experiencing conflicts.
“While global attention has focused on refugees, almost two-thirds of Africa’s dislocated population are internally displaced,” it said.
The number of internally displaced people --12.7 million -- represent a 65 percent increase since 2013.
“More than 44 million Africans are estimated to be at a crisis or emergency level of food insecurity. Parts of Nigeria, Somalia, and South Sudan are at risk of famine,” the report revealed.
It further stated that 51 humanitarian workers have been killed last year in the Central African Republic, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Somalia, and South Sudan.
The report listed the top ten countries in terms of population displacement; Sudan, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Eritrea, Burundi, Ethiopia and Ivory Coast.
George Arach, UN Economic Commission for Africa’s economic affairs officer, believed the issue should be addressed from the root.
Talking to Anadolu Agency, Arach said that the issue of internal displacement should be addressed by implementing the African governance initiative endorsed by the African Heads of State and Government under the auspices of the African Union.
He said the international community should support regional initiatives such as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development to tackle the issue in South Sudan, while governments in Africa should put a check on armament trading.
