CARE International UK
CARE International UK
01/15/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/15/2025 10:05
New CARE Report: The 10 most under-reported humanitarian crises in 2024
For the third year in a row, Angola tops the list of 10 forgotten humanitarian disasters, according to international humanitarian relief organisation CARE International.
More than two million people in Angola are affected by the country's worst drought in over 40 years. Yet only 1,956 online articles reported on this crisis in 2024. CARE International's Crisis Report, the ninth edition of which is published today, reveals the crises and disasters that received the least media coverage in the past year. Once again, all ten crises in the report are located on the African continent.
10 humanitarian crises that didn't make the headlines in 2024:
- Angola - 2.2 million people in need of humanitarian aid.
- Central African Republic - One in five people are displaced.
- Madagascar - More than 80 percent of people live below the poverty line.
- Burkina Faso - Acute hunger affects 2.7 million people.
- Burundi - 52 percent of children under the age of five are chronically malnourished.
- Mozambique - 2.8 million people do not have enough to eat.
- Cameroon - 60 percent of the population has no access to clean water.
- Malawi - 40 percent of the population suffers from extreme food shortages.
- Zambia - 9.8 million people are affected by drought.
- Niger - 4.5 million people need humanitarian aid.
Chikondi Chabvuta, Regional Advocacy Advisor for Southern Africa at CARE International, said:
"Around 35 million people- representing over half the population of the UK-are affected by these crises. But numbers alone cannot capture the extent of human suffering.
"In these silent disasters, communities are leading their own fight for survival every day, often led by women but without sufficient access to humanitarian aid or international support. Moreover, the affected regions often lack the stability needed to address these challenges. With our report, we want to encourage people to take a closer look - because every person in need deserves solidarity and concrete help."
Violence and the climate crisis intensify needs
The reunion of the Britpop band Oasis made major headlines last Autumn with 125,698 articles published about the announcement. In contrast, the crisis in the Central African Republic, which ranks second in CARE's report, received around 30 times less coverage. The country has been suffering from violent conflicts for more than a decade, leading to displacement and severe shortages of essential supplies. In third place is the island state of Madagascar, where hunger and poverty are exacerbated by extreme weather events, including floods, cyclones, and drought.
People in other countries - including Burundi, Malawi, and Zambia - are increasingly facing the impacts of the climate crisis. In Burkina Faso more than two million people have been displaced by violence, 82% of whom are women and children. Yet, these crises continue to fade from public attention.
In Burundi, 298,000 people were affected by severe flooding last year.
Juvenal Afurika, CARE Country Director in Burundi, said: "The region was already poor before the flooding and has now been thrown even further into poverty as the little they had was washed away."
Faith Phiri, Managing Director of CARE partner organisation Girls Empowerment Network (GENET) in Malawi, said:
"Recognising Malawi's struggles would not only bring assistance but also spotlight the resilience and agency of Malawian girls and women who, despite adversity, are creating change in their communities. Collaborating with local journalists means challenges can be presented in a nuanced way and within the cultural context, offering unique perspectives that international audiences might not otherwise be aware of."
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