The Worsening Drought in the Horn of Africa

Hammered by four droughts in a row, as many as 17 million people are going hungry in three countries in the Horn of Africa, with aid agencies warning that the hardest-hit areas are threatened by famine

In the arid pastoralist regions of southern Ethiopia, northern Kenya, and much of Somalia, the lack of water and pasture has killed millions of animals that herders rely on for their livelihoods. That has left households destitute, with deaths among the most vulnerable, especially young children.

Worse is on the way. The La Niña weather system that has caused an unprecedented four consecutive droughts across the region is still in effect. There is now a “concrete risk” that the October to December rains will fail once again – propelling the disaster to a whole new level.

“We must meet the current humanitarian needs now if we are to avert an even bigger crisis in six months’ time,” Sean Granville-Ross, Africa regional director for the aid agency Mercy Corps, told The New Humanitarian.

The Ukraine effects

The current response is not enough. The $4.4 billion UN appeal is “woefully” underfunded, according to the aid agency Oxfam. A separate donor pledge of $1.4 million made in April to cover the next six months has raised only $400 million in new money.

“It’s an indication of the multiple catastrophes around the world that are vying for the attention of the donors,” said Granville-Ross. “Back in February, we thought [the Horn of Africa] was gaining momentum, and then Ukraine came along.”

Politics of need

Conflict and political instability are exacerbating the impact of climate shocks in the region. In Somalia, the jihadist group al-Shabab controls much of the countryside and is hostile to Western aid agencies. Fear of falling foul of international anti-terror legislation acts as an additional barrier to foreign aid operations.

But there is “enough to do without getting close to al-Shabab areas”, said an aid worker, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue. “That’s a reflection of both the scale of the needs, and the limitation of the response.”

Somalia
Numbers in need: 7.7 million
Donor appeal: $1.46 billion
Funded: $260 million – 18 percent

Ethiopia
Numbers in need: 25.9 million (including the Tigray crisis)
Donor appeal: $2.75 billion
Funded: Not yet updated

Kenya
Numbers in need: 4.2 million
Donor Appeal: $180.7 million
Funded: $27 million – 19 percent

South Sudan
Numbers in need: 8.9 million
Donor Appeal: $1.70 million
Funded: $442.6 million – 26 percent

Sudan
Numbers in need: 14.3 million
Donor Appeal: $1.94 billion
Funded: $290 million – 15 percent

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