(Ecofin Agency) - In East Africa, the number of displaced people rose from 13.2 million in 2020 to 26.5 million in 2024, according to the WFP.

The World Food Program (WFP) has received $118 million from the U.S. government to provide critical support to over one million displaced people across seven countries in East and Central Africa.

According to the official statement released on December 13, the resources were channeled through USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance. The beneficiaries include Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda.

“This funding from the US is critical to ensure we can maintain support for these vulnerable displaced people, many of whom rely almost entirely on humanitarian assistance to survive,” said Laurent Bukera, WFP’s regional director for East Africa, in the statement.

Between 2020 and 2024, the number of displaced people in East Africa doubled, rising from 13.2 million to 26.5 million. This increase is due to conflicts, the war in Sudan, and the effects of climate change. A prolonged drought caused food insecurity that left 2.6 million Kenyans and Somalis in urgent need of assistance in March 2023, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Central Africa is also facing a humanitarian crisis fueled by insecurity and climate-related challenges. This situation is worsened by diplomatic tensions between the DRC and Rwanda, as well as Burundi and Rwanda, and ongoing violence by armed groups in eastern DRC, according to the UN.

The WFP currently supports nearly 2.5 million refugees and asylum seekers in these seven countries.