Infographics: 10 Most Neglected Refugee Crises In The World

While the world focuses on the impact of the war between Russia and Ukraine, Africa is becoming overwhelmed by starvation, prolonged conflicts and a slew of mass displacements of people across many countries on the continent.

According to a new report by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Africa has the highest number of countries with the most neglected refugee crisis.

DR Congo tops the list for the second year running, with about 5.5 million people being internally displaced and one million more fleeing abroad.

Other countries on the list include; Burkina Faso, Cameroon, South Sudan, Chad, Mali, Sudan, Nigeria, Burundi and Ethiopia.

The NRC highlighted the disparities in the humanitarian attention received by Europe’s Ukraine and Africa. According to the council, there were no high-level meetings or donor conferences about the DRC’s hunger crisis or the conflict in the country’s east, and only 44 percent of the $2bn requested by the UN for humanitarian aid was received, despite the incessant calls for donations.

However, by contrast, the NRC highlighted that it took just one day this March for a humanitarian appeal for Ukraine to be almost fully funded.

What Is Exacerbating Crises In Africa?

According to the NRC, displacement crises in Africa are exacerbated by climate shocks such as droughts and floods, food crises and conflicts or endemic violence.

In April, the World Food Programme raised an alarm that 20 million people were at risk of starvation this year as delayed rains worsened an already brutal drought in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia.

The Horn of Africa region where all four countries are situated is experiencing its worst drought in decades.

Experts and aid workers also say the war in Ukraine has contributed to rising costs of fuel and food in many countries across Africa. Wheat imports make up 90 percent of Africa’s $4bn trade with Russia and almost half of the continent’s $4.5bn trade with Ukraine, according to the Africa Development Bank (AfDB).

Patsy Nwogu

Reporting on data-driven featured stories and investigations.

Related post