The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
The threat of starvation looms in East Africa after four failed rainy seasons, warned meteorological organizations together with humanitarian partners predicting that the situation is set to worsen due to forecasts of an unprecedented fifth poor rainy season between October and December.
Speaking at a news briefing at the United Nations in Geneva, spokesperson Clare Nullis from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said that “meteorological agencies that includes the World Meteorological Organization, along with humanitarian partners, have issued a joint alert that the threat of starvation looms in East Africa. This is after four failed rainy seasons. We are particularly concerned that the situation is set to get worse.”
The joint alert was made by 12 organizations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), the World Food Programme (WFP), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Meteorological Organization, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
“In this alert, we say that the current extreme, widespread and persistent multi-season drought which is affecting Somalia, parts of Kenya and Ethiopia is unprecedented”, said Ms. Nullis.
Four consecutive rainy seasons have failed, a climatic event not seen in at least 40 years.
“The latest long-lead seasonal forecasts supported by wide community of meteorological experts indicate now that there is a very real risk that the October to December rainy season could also fail”, Ms. Nullis said. She added that “should these forecasts materialize, then the already severe humanitarian situation will further deepen.”
The 2022 March-May rainy season appears likely to be the driest on record, the impact on livelihoods, on people’s health, on life stock and on pastureland have been devastating. An estimated 3,7 million livestock have died in Kenya (1.5 million) and in Ethiopia with 2.1 million.
“The Food Security and Nutrition Working Group (FSNWG), so this is a large body of experts, estimates that 16.7 million people currently face high food insecurity and projects figures to increase to 20 million by September”, said WMO’s spokesperson.
During 2020, 2021 and 2022, a multiyear La Niña contributed to less rainfall across eastern Africa which resulted in the devastating drought of East Africa in 2010-2011.
“La Niña, just like its counterpart El Niño, is part of our natural climate variability”, Clare Nullis said. “However, as with everything these days, human induced climate change is amplifying the impact. It's the elephant in every room, when we talk about climate these days.”
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated in their Sixth Assessment Report that there is evidence of human contribution in decreased precipitation in North-eastern Africa and increased frequency of hot extremes.
“Climate change is leading to more intense and severe extremes, and it's also increasing air temperatures, as we've seen in East Africa this year”, WMO’s spokesperson said. “So that worsens droughts because it increases the loss of moisture from plants and soil.”
The impacts in food security have also been extensive, said Clare Nullis.
“Quoting the IPCC: in Africa, agricultural productivity growth has been reduced by 34% since 1961 due to climate change, more than any other region.”
-ends-
- Exterior medium-wide shot, flag alley, UN Geneva.
- Wide shot, cameras in the foreground, podium speaker in the background, TV screen showing speakers to rear, UN Geneva press conference room.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Clare Nullis, spokesperson, World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “Meteorological agencies that includes the World Meteorological Organization, along with humanitarian partners, have issued a joint alert that the threat of starvation looms in East Africa. This is after four failed rainy seasons. We are particularly concerned that the situation is set to get worse.”
- Medium wide shot, seated participants listening to the press briefing.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Clare Nullis, spokesperson, World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “In this alert, we say that the current extreme, widespread and persistent multi-season drought which is affecting Somalia, parts of Kenya and Ethiopia is unprecedented.”
- Medium shot, seated participants looking at their laptop screens while following the press briefing.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Clare Nullis, spokesperson, World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “The latest long-lead seasonal forecasts supported by wide community of meteorological experts indicate now that there is a very real risk that the October to December rainy season could also fail.”
- Medium shot, side angle of three masked participants in foreground, TV screen in background.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Clare Nullis, spokesperson, World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “Should these forecasts materialize, then the already severe humanitarian situation will further deepen.”
- Close-up, fingers holding a pen and taking notes on the notebook.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Clare Nullis, spokesperson, World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “The Food Security and Nutrition Working Group (FSNWG), so this is a large body of experts, estimates that 16.7 million people currently face high food insecurity and projects figures to increase to 20 million by September.”
- Medium shot, lower angle shot of cameras in the foreground, participants and a flashlight to rear.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Clare Nullis, spokesperson, World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “La Niña, just like its counterpart El Niño, is part of our natural climate variability. However, as with everything these days, human induced climate change is amplifying the impact. It's the elephant in every room, when we talk about climate these days.”
- Close-up, hands of the participants, tapping or operating the mouse in front of the laptops.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Clare Nullis, spokesperson, World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “Climate change is leading to more intense and severe extremes, and it's also increasing air temperatures, as we've seen in East Africa this year. So that worsens droughts because it increases the loss of moisture from plants and soil.”
- Close-up, camera screen displays the podium speaker in the foreground, podium speaker to rear, blurry.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Clare Nullis, spokesperson, World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “Quoting the IPCC: in Africa, agricultural productivity growth has been reduced by 34% since 1961 due to climate change, more than any other region.”
- Medium shot, shot from the back of the participants, seated in the foreground, podium speakers and TV showing the podium speaker to rear.
- Close-up, two participants following the press conference.
- Close-up, a participant listening carefully to the press conference
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR , UNMAS , WHO
Just how many people are still trapped in the Sudanese city of El Fasher?
That’s the burning question for relatives of the many thousands of people believed to still be there, since paramilitary fighters overran the regional capital of North Darfur last month, after a 500-day siege.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
At the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva, UN Human Rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan made the following remarks on the ongoing violence in the occupied WestBank.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
At a Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva today, the UN Human Rights Chief, Volker Türk made the following remarks on the situation in El-Fasher, Sudan.
2
1
2
Statements , Conferences , Edited News | HRC
UN Human Rights Council holds special session on Sudan as mass atrocities reported in El Fasher
The UN Human Rights Council convened an emergency session on Friday on the situation in and around El Fasher, Sudan, following reports of mass killings in the North Darfur capital. States passed a resolution that will mandate an investigation into likely mass atrocities during the capture of El Fasher by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on 26 October.
1
1
2
Edited News | UN WOMEN
Sudan: Women’s bodies ‘a crime scene’ as tens of thousands flee El Fasher atrocities – UN Women
In war-torn Sudan, rape is being systematically used as a weapon and simply being a woman is “a strong predictor” of hunger, violence and death, the UN’s gender equality agency warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
The UN human rights office (OHCHR) on Friday called for an end to continuing expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, where “unchecked” settler violence has surged since the war in Gaza began more than two years ago.
1
1
1
Edited News | WFP
The crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to worsen amid ongoing fighting that has driven tens of thousands of people from their homes and created acute hunger, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | WFP
Gaza: One million receive food parcels as humanitarians race to ‘push back hunger’
Food is slowly returning to the shelves in Gaza amid “apocalyptic scenes” but supplies are still desperately inadequate, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday, as they issued fresh calls for wider access and continued financial support.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango today told the bi-weekly UN press briefing in Geneva of more details that are emerging on the atrocities committed in El Fasher, in Sudan during and after its takeover by the Rapid Support Forces.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango made the following comment on Friday at the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani made the following comment on Friday at the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , WHO
Sudan: UN Raises Alarm Over Mass Atrocities in El Fasher as Survivors Report Executions, Killings and Rapes
More details continue to emerge about atrocities committed during and after the fall of El Fasher to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan on 23 October. Since the powerful paramilitary group made a major incursion into the city last week, the UN Human Rights Office has received “horrendous accounts of summary executions, mass killings, rapes, attacks against humanitarian workers, looting, abductions and forced displacement,” said Seif Magango, spokesperson for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).