Compromised Futures: East Africa’s drought and conflict crisis’ impact on children’s wellbeing

Persistent drought and conflict has caused devastating food insecurity across East Africa with multiple, dire, and potentially long-term effects on children. Besides being an immediate threat to children’s survival in terms of health and well-being, it has lead to increasing school absenteeism and greater protection risks for children in the affected countries. These risks are likely to become acuter in 2018.

This briefing highlights the impact of drought and conflict in East Africa on children, noting threats to children’s survival, learning, and protection. Immediate urgency and action is needed by stakeholders to continue and scale up efforts to address the urgent needs of children in East Africa.