The risk of ignoring the Horn of Africa’s humanitarian crises

  • Wed, November 18, 2026 • 9:00 am ET
  • Atlantic Council Headquarters
  • 1400 L Street NW • Floor 11
  • Washington, DC 20005

The Africa Center hosts an event discussing the humanitarian disasters hitting the Horn of Africa from Ethiopia to Sudan, with a focus on areas of need and pathways forward.

On Wednesday, November 18 at 9:00 a.m. ET, the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center will host a conversation to overview current dynamics, areas of need, and pathways forward for the Horn of Africa as it is being struck by a series of humanitarian disasters.

The region is grappling with renewed war in Ethiopia, genocide and ethnic cleansing in Sudan, increased fighting in South Sudan ahead of December elections, and multi-season drought in Somalia. Meanwhile, high fuel and fertilizer prices due to the war in Iran, mass internal and international displacement of civilians, expected flooding from the “super El Niño,” and wider geopolitical pressures are all pushing the Horn of Africa to the breaking point.

With sparse global attention, humanitarian organizations are struggling for funding and even access to the areas that need assistance the most. Insecurity, whether political, armed, or economic, has forced many to flee. The World Health Organization projects that more than 37.8 million people in the region face acute food insecurity, with 4.9 million children projected to suffer acute malnutrition. Regional and humanitarian experts will discuss how to address these crises.

New policy: In-person attendees will be required to show photo ID upon arrival, and no on-site registration will be permitted. Guests will not be admitted later than twenty minutes after the event’s start time.

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Speakers

François Christophe
Nonresident Senior Fellow, Africa Center,
Atlantic Council

Elizabeth Hoffman
Executive Director, North America,
ONE

Kate Phillips-Barrasso
Vice President of Global Policy and Advocacy,
Prosper Global

Moderated by

Ernst Jan Hogendoorn
Nonresident Senior Fellow, Africa Center,
Atlantic Council

More speakers to be announced.

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