World’s ‘most neglected’ refugee crises all in Africa: NGO

Ten 'most neglected' displacement crises are for the first time all in Africa, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) says in a report on Wednesday, expressing concern over the consequences of the war in Ukraine on the continent.

The NRC publishes an annual list of the ten "most neglected displacement crises", based on three criteria: the international community's lack of political will to find solutions, lack of media coverage and funding for humanitarian needs.

The ranking for 2021 "testifies to the chronic failure of decision-makers, donors and the media to address the conflicts and human suffering on this continent", lamented the secretary-general of the NGO, Jan Egeland, quoted in a communicated.

While a large proportion of African countries are usually included (8 out of 10 in 2020), 2021 is the first year that "all ten are in Africa", according to the report.

The countries with the most neglected crises according to the NRC are, in order: the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burkina Faso, Cameroon, South Sudan, Chad, Mali, Sudan, Nigeria, Burundi and Ethiopia.

In West Africa, Burkina Faso, which now has more than 1.75 million displaced people, particularly in the north of the country plagued by jihadist attacks, comes in 2nd position, ahead of Cameroon, South Sudan, Chad, Mali, Sudan, Nigeria, Burundi and Ethiopia.

Like the previous year, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), "a textbook case of neglect, appearing in this list for the sixth time in a row", underlines the NRC, comes first, with 5.5 million displaced people, particularly in the northeast of the country.

"This is one of the worst humanitarian crises of this century, and yet those inside and outside Africa who have the power to change this are turning a blind eye to the waves of brutal and targeted attacks against civilians that shatter communities,” according to the NGO.

Hunger is on the rise in most of these countries, due in particular to the worsening of their food situation "by the increase in the prices of wheat and fuel caused by the war in Ukraine", warns the NRC.

"In addition, several donor countries are deciding or considering reducing their aid to Africa to redirect funds to Ukraine and the reception of refugees in their country," he said.