The Horn of Africa is experiencing the driest conditions recorded since 1981, with severe drought leaving an estimated 13 million people across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia facing severe hunger, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) alerted today.

“The United Nations World Food Programme WFP is today warning an estimated 13 million people are waking up hungry every day across the Horn of Africa as the region grapples with severe drought caused by the driest conditions since 1981,” said WFP’s spokesperson Tomson Phiri today at a news briefing at the United Nations in Geneva.

The drought is affecting pastoral and farming communities and malnutrition rates are high in the region. WFP is appealing for US$327 million to respond to the drought. Shortages of water have decimated crops and caused abnormally high livestock deaths.

“What is particularly striking about this drought is its breath. Livestock are dying and that is devastating for pastoral families. Pastoralists have watched their livestock die”, reported Mr. Phiri who has just returned from a mission to the affected region.  

He added that “after three consecutive failed rainy seasons, harvest are up to 70% below the norm in affected areas. Now, food and water prices are skyrocketing significantly. This is affecting family’s ability to buy”. Furthermore, Mr. Phiri said that “staple cereal prices have risen between three to fivefold above typical levels in several markets. Rising cereal prices and declining lives to prices means a sharp decline in the terms of trade.”

Across the three drought affected areas, WFP is providing in the short-term live saving food and nutrition assistance to affected communities. Additionally, WFP offers cash grants in the long term to build resilience among farming communities where less rain and more drought could, with climate change, becoming the norm.

Immediate assistance is critical to avoid a major humanitarian crisis, like the one the world witnessed in 2011 where 250,000 people died of hunger in Somalia.

UNICEF’s Regional Director for Eastern & Southern Africa, Mohamed Malick Fall, told the media today that “there are millions of lives are hanging in the balance. The needs are massive and urgent, and they are quickly outpacing the available funds to respond. We need to act NOW and to prevent really a catastrophe”.

Further forecasts of below-average rainfall are threating to worsen and compound the dire conditions in the upcoming months.  

“UNICEF projects that up to 20 million people in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia will need water and food assistance in the next six months. And that is almost the same amount of people as the population of Greece and Sweden – combined”, said UNICEF’s regional director for Eastern & Southern Africa.

According to Mr. Fall, “right now, nearly 5.5 million children in these four countries are threatened by acute malnutrition and an estimated 1.4 million children by severe acute malnutrition”. He added that “UNICEF fears this number will increase by 50 per cent if the rains doesn’t come in the next three months.”

Many of the children are at greater risks due to one of the worst climate-induced emergencies of the past 40 years. UNICEF warns, the region cannot cope with yet another storm, combining COVID 19, conflict and climate change.

In Somalia alone, an estimated 1,3 million children under 5 years of age are at risk of malnutrition, including 295,000 severe cases.

“Families are taking extreme measures to survive and in many cases leaving their homes, which puts children on the move at particular risk”, said Mr. Fall. “This is a crisis that requires a collective response – ensuring access to clean water, nutrition and safe spaces for children.”

UNICEF’s appeal is now at US$ 123 million for Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia and Kenya to cover life-saving needs for the most vulnerable till end of June 2022.

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1. Exterior middle-wide shot, United Nations Palace of Nations, Geneva. UN flag flying.
2. Wide shot, press room UN Geneva.
3. SOUNDBITE (English): Tomson Phiri, spokesperson for the World Food Program (WFP): “The United Nations World Food Programme WFP is today warning an estimated 13 million people are waking up hungry every day across the Horn of Africa as the region grapples with severe drought caused by the driest conditions since 1981.”
4. Close-up shot, masked participants listening and looking at the phone.
5. SOUNDBITE (English): Tomson Phiri, spokesperson for the World Food Program (WFP): “What is particularly striking about this drought is its breath. Livestock are dying and that is devastating for pastoral families. Pastoralists have watched their livestock die.”
6. Close-up shot, camera screen showing speaksperson, podium speakers to rear.
7. SOUNDBITE (English): Tomson Phiri, spokesperson for the World Food Program (WFP): “After three consecutive failed rainy seasons, harvest are up to 70% below the norm in affected areas. Now, food and water prices are skyrocketing significantly. This is affecting family’s ability to buy. Staple cereal prices have risen between three to fivefold above typical levels in several markets. Rising cereal prices and declining lives to prices means a sharp decline in the terms of trade.”
8. Medium shot, podium speakers speaking.
9. SOUNDBITE (English): Mohamed Malick Fall, UNICEF’s Regional Director for Eastern & Southern Africa: “There are millions of lives that are hanging in the balance. And the needs are massive, and they are quickly outpacing and the available comes to respond to this scale of need. And we need to act now and to prevent really a catastrophe.”
10. Close-up shot, participants taking notes with notebook and laptop.
11. SOUNDBITE (English): Mohamed Malick Fall, UNICEF’s Regional Director for Eastern & Southern Africa: “UNICEF projects that up to 20 million people in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia will need water and food assistance in the next six months. And that is almost the same amount of people as the population of Greece and Sweden – combined.”
12. Medium shot, participants listening, TV screen showing podium speakers on the rear.
13. SOUNDBITE (English): Mohamed Malick Fall, UNICEF’s Regional Director for Eastern & Southern Africa: “Right now, nearly 5.5 million children in these four countries are threatened by acute malnutrition and an estimated 1.4 million children by severe acute malnutrition. UNICEF fears this number will increase by 50 per cent if the rains doesn’t come in the next three months.”
14. Close-up shot, masked participant listening with cameraman to the rear.
15. SOUNDBITE (English): Mohamed Malick Fall, UNICEF’s Regional Director for Eastern & Southern Africa: “Families are taking extreme measures to survive and in many cases leaving their homes, which puts children on the move at particular risk. This is a crisis that requires a collective response – ensuring access to clean water, nutrition and safe spaces for children.”
16. Medium shot, participants listening and taking notes with podium speakers on the rear.