Guterres calls for tripling climate adaptation finance as East Africa hunger crisis deepens

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for a tripling of climate adaptation finance and improved access to early-warning systems to tackle the deepening hunger crisis in East Africa, exacerbated by climate shocks. The crisis has seen food insecurity across six East African countries nearly triple in the past decade, affecting 40.3 million people, or 34% of the population.

Guterres emphasized that climate adaptation must be integrated into government policies, budgets, and infrastructure decisions, warning that failing to prepare for climate shocks turns extreme weather into humanitarian and economic crises. He urged developed countries to meet their financial commitments and triple adaptation finance, urging the Loss and Damage Fund to operate at scale.

In East Africa, climate shocks have already impacted agricultural production and livelihoods, with the region facing a further challenge from El Niño and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole. Over nine million children in the region need treatment for acute malnutrition, with 2.3 million suffering from severe acute malnutrition. The crisis also affects 19 million forcibly displaced people, with Sudan and South Sudan facing the worst food insecurity.

Guterres emphasized that climate finance must focus on helping vulnerable countries withstand shocks while calling for an approach that anticipates crises rather than waiting for disasters. He urged governments to invest in resilience and stronger regional action, as hunger crosses borders.