East and Horn of Africa Emergency
Millions of refugees and asylum-seekers living in the East and Horn of Africa have fled conflict and are now facing the climate crisis. Extreme weather including prolonged droughts followed by flash floods are fuelling hunger, displacement and conflict.
Last updated 12th September 2025
© UNHCR/Eugene Sibomana
East and Horn of Africa Emergency
Millions of refugees and asylum-seekers living in the East and Horn of Africa have fled conflict and are now facing the climate crisis. Extreme weather including prolonged droughts followed by flash floods are fuelling hunger, displacement and conflict.
© UNHCR/Eugene Sibomana
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What’s happening in the Horn of Africa?
Climate change is making this part of the world increasingly hard to live in – causing deep droughts followed by intense rains to become the ‘new normal’. Refugees and displaced people are particularly vulnerable since many live in temporary or semi-permanent shelters, often in remote locations.
In 2024, floods devastated much of the region, washing away houses, schools, community buildings, livestock and crops, and increasing the risk of hunger and disease outbreaks. Hundreds of thousands of refugees, internally displaced people and people in host communities were affected.
Before this, the region was experiencing the worst drought in over 40 years. This had a severe impact on refugees and host communities, leaving 23 million people acutely malnourished in the region.
UNHCR has maintained a decades-long presence in the region, helping governments to coordinate refugee responses and ensuring that displaced people have access to services such as education and health care, as well as responding to emergencies with life-saving assistance.
Why is there flooding in the region?
The climate crisis is triggering extreme weather events such as storms, wildfires and floods around the world, but their effects are felt most strongly by the poorest and most vulnerable people.
The torrential rains hitting the East and Horn of Africa are part of an emerging global pattern of extreme weather, coming just months after heavy rainfall and flooding late last year that itself followed long months of drought. The cumulative effect is to make parts of the region increasingly unliveable, forcing people to flee.
To find out more about climate change and disaster-related displacement visit our website here.
What countries are part of the East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes region?
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, the United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda are all part of this region.
How is the war in Ukraine impacting the Horn of Africa?
Due to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, the cost of food staples, including grain, have risen significantly. The price of food has risen significantly in Ethiopia and Somalia, leaving many refugees and internally displaced families unable to afford the most basic of items. This has forced some to sell personal valuables in exchange for food and other lifesaving items. Humanitarian needs are growing fast, and people’s lives are at stake, while funding remains staggeringly low.
Where are people in the Horn of Africa fleeing to?
With conflict flaring, the climate changing, livelihoods decimated and prices rising, more people are now being forced to flee – both internally and across borders. This is having a devastating impact on existing refugees and internally displaced people in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, and on their host communities.
In 2025, there are around 27 million refugees and asylum-seekers in the East and Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes Region. Uganda generously hosts almost 2 million refugees and asylum-seekers. There are also significant numbers of people seeking sanctuary in Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan and the United Republic of Tanzania, among other countries.
Many of the host countries are also affected by climate disasters and conflict, leaving millions of people internally displaced. For example, Sudan hosts 900,000 million refugees and asylum-seekers, whilst over 10 million people inside Sudan are internally displaced.
As climate disasters, insecurity and conflict continue in the region, UNHCR estimates that the number of people forced to flee will increase.
What kind of relief is UNHCR is providing?
UNHCR is working closely with local authorities and partners, rushing crucial aid and providing protection services to refugees and affected communities living nearby.
Across Burundi and Tanzania UNHCR is providing shelter support, whilst in Kenya and Somalia UNHCR is providing core relief items such as blankets, sleeping mats and jerry cans.
UNHCR has recently announced a $100 million UNHCR Climate Resilience Fund. The fund will reduce the environmental impact of emergency responses, provide sustainable resources and clean energy for refugees and displaced people, and help equip them to withstand future shocks.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said, “The impacts of climate change are only becoming more devastating, increasingly exacerbating conflict, destroying livelihoods and, ultimately, triggering displacement.”
How are floods impacting women and girls specifically?
While the impacts of climate change are felt by everyone, it’s those in the most precarious situations, including women and girls, who bear the brunt of climate shocks.
Climate change in regions like the Horn of Africa amplifies existing inequalities, poverty and drives displacement, making refugee women and girls even more vulnerable. Women face greater health and safety risks as water and sanitation systems become comprised.
Also, women and girls are less likely to have access to education, finance and natural resources necessary for survival. Lack of resources means women get trapped in areas where climate and disaster risk is high.
Where can I access the latest data and reports?
The East and Horn of Africa, and the Great Lakes Situation Portal – for the latest updates on the crisis overall, including UNHCR situation reports, funding requirements and UNHCR’s operations in the region.