The IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Center has warned of below-normal rainfall during the rainy season over the next three months in parts of Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia. This could be the 6th consecutive failed rainfall season in the areas most affected by the recent drought, leading to a situation worse than the 2011 famine in which hundreds of thousands of people died. The drought has already become the longest and most severe in Somalia’s recent history, with 1.3 million people, mostly women and children, internally displaced.
Close to 23 million people are thought to be highly food insecure in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya, with 11 million livestock dead due to the drought. The war in Ukraine has further hindered the humanitarian response, as traditional donors in Europe are diverting funds for the crisis closer to home.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that 8.3 million people in Somalia will need humanitarian assistance this year, while Workneh Gebeyehu, the head of IGAD, has urged governments and partners to act “before it’s too late”. Mohammed Mukhier, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies director for Africa, has called for an “all-hands-on-deck approach” to strengthen food systems, livelihoods, and climate resilience.
The devastating effects of the drought have been felt across the region, with pastoralists and farmers watching their crops wither and water sources run dry. The situation is dire and requires urgent action from all stakeholders to prevent a further humanitarian crisis. Governments, partners, and organizations must work together to provide relief to those affected and to build climate resilience.