As the world’s attention drifts away from Africa, its humanitarian crises fall out of focus. Care International’s 2023 report identifies a glaring lack of media coverage for the continent’s struggles, leaving millions of lives in obscurity. The organization emphasizes the pivotal role played by climate change and the urgent need for greater global attention.
One of the most startling findings of the report is the invisibility of critical issues such as hunger in Angola, chronic malnutrition in Burundi, and high child mortality in the Central African Republic. These challenges have been relegated to the sidelines, overshadowed by more prominently covered global events.
Analyst Fredson Guilengue from the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation in Johannesburg highlights the diminishing interest in Africa’s crises, attributing it to the overwhelming focus on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. The resultant lack of attention to other parts of the world accentuates the continent’s plight, deepening its invisibility on the global stage.
Care International’s “Breaking the Silence” report underscores the persistence of neglect towards these humanitarian crises. Drawing attention to the “forgotten crises” for the eighth time, the report unveils a disheartening reality: of the 48 humanitarian crises affecting over a million people, the ten with the lowest media presence were all in Africa.
In a poignant revelation, Care’s spokesperson David Mutua sheds light on the alarming discrepancy in media coverage. While the humanitarian disasters in Africa garnered a mere 77,000 articles, a new Barbie film amassed 273,279 publications, underscoring a critical imbalance in global news coverage.
The report highlights Angola as a stark example, with the country’s dire situation attracting less than 1,000 publications, despite over seven million people needing humanitarian aid due to drought, flooding, and hunger. The long-standing impact of civil war, coupled with economic challenges, has plunged the majority of Angolans into poverty despite the nation’s rich natural resources.
Furthermore, the report underscores the far-reaching consequences of climate change, with Zambia, Burundi, Senegal, and Mauritania grappling with its devastating effects on food security and displacement. Deepmala Mahla, Care’s Director for Humanitarian Aid, emphasizes the harrowing impact of climate change on communities, citing a Somali woman’s haunting words: “The climate, the drought and the weapons haven’t killed me, but I feel dead inside.”
Notably, Care International warns that in 2024, nearly 300 million people worldwide will require humanitarian aid, with almost half of them in Africa. This underscores the urgent need for renewed global attention and support for the continent’s escalating crises.
Despite the gravity of the situation, the report reveals a distressing global fatigue towards African crises, with these situations often overlooked due to their familiarity. Western countries’ disillusionment with the perceived lack of progress in African democracies and foreign aid contributes to this disheartening indifference.
Moreover, the challenges of reporting from Africa are compounded by the high costs and security risks faced by foreign journalists. The difficulties in accessing insecure regions further exacerbate the invisibility of humanitarian crises, as highlighted in the case of the protracted conflict in the Central African Republic.
Care International also points to a severe funding shortfall for humanitarian aid, with only 35% of the required financial resources being provided by donors in 2023. This pivotal revelation underscores the urgent need for enhanced cooperation with the media and policymakers to elevate these emergencies to the global forefront.
In conclusion, the report serves as a powerful call to action, underscoring the critical need for renewed global attention, support, and advocacy for Africa’s forgotten humanitarian crises.

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