Across Africa, 149 million people are facing acute food insecurity — and the crises driving hunger are piling up. In Converging Crises, Fragile Food Systems, Mercy Corps examines how conflict, climate extremes, economic shocks, and disease outbreaks are compounding into a systemic "polycrisis," with an intensifying El Niño now threatening harvests and livelihoods just as humanitarian funding is under strain.

Drawing on evidence from our work across the continent, the report argues that emergency relief alone can no longer keep pace, and sets out three priorities for donors: prepare for shocks before they strike, protect lives and livelihoods when crises hit, and transform the food systems communities depend on. The choice is clear — keep paying for emergencies as they multiply, or invest now in systems built to withstand them.