The Addis Ababa-based pan-African policy research think-tank, Amani Africa, has obliged the African Union’s Peace and Security Council to review progress and challenges of response to conflict-induced food insecurities on the continent.

The urge by Amani came a day ahead of a scheduled meeting of the PSC on Wednesday that will bring together FAO, WFP and IFAD in assessments of preparedness and early action.

In a statement, Amani recommends that the session assesses progress made in the development and implementation of anticipatory tools for crisis preparedness and early action, as well as the use of humanitarian diplomacy as part of the toolbox for responding to the humanitarian dimension of conflicts in Africa, including conflict-induced food insecurity.

“The session may also revisit the AU’s ongoing challenge in financing humanitarian assistance and emphasize the need for Member States to fulfil their commitments, particularly the decision to increase contributions to the Refugees and IDPs Fund from 2% to 4%,” it said.

The think-tank also highlighted the need for the meeting between the PSC and the UN agencies to look at the Special Emergency Assistance Fund’s roles in supporting populations affected by drought, famine, and food insecurity, while urging continued international support as a lifeline for vulnerable groups across the continent.

It cited a WFP report as having projected that over three million people will face emergency levels of food insecurity (Phase 4) this year – more than double the 1.5 million in 2020. Four countries – Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Niger- account for 77 per cent of the food insecurity figures, including 15,000 people in Nigeria’s Borno State at risk of catastrophic hunger (IPC-5) for the first time in nearly a decade.

“While these conditions are accelerated by insecurity, they also contribute to the aggravation of insecurity,” the statement said.

According to Amani Africa, The ‘WFP 2025 Global Outlook’ highlighted that the Eastern Africa region faces compounded crises driven by conflicts, widespread displacement and climate shocks, leaving nearly 62 million people acutely food insecure. The region grapples with more than 26 million displaced people, with Sudan representing the largest crisis globally at 11.3 million. In Sudan, in addition to the Zamzam, 13 additional areas with a high presence of IDPs and refugees are at risk of famine.

Increasingly, relatively stable countries are slipping into crisis due to economic shocks and climate change. The rising cost of living and widespread economic hardship have made food insecurity a catalyst for social unrest and political instability in various parts of the continent, including the mass protests witnessed in countries such as Sierra Leone, Tunisia, Kenya and Nigeria during 2022, 2023 and 2024, as well as Madagascar in 2025.