Drought

Countries in the greater Horn of Africa are facing one of the worst episodes of food insecurity seen in decades The Horn of Africa is experiencing one of its worst droughts in recent history, an estimated 15 to 20 million people are severely affected by the drought in Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia – more than 3, 5 and 7 million people in each country, respectively. These people are severely food insecure, with families are taking desperate measures to survive and so many leaving their homes in search of
food, water, and pasture.

The unprecedented impacts of multiple failed rainy seasons are threatening to create a humanitarian crisis in a region already negatively impacted by cumulative shocks, including conflict and insecurity, extreme weather conditions, climate change, desert locusts and the negative socioeconomic impacts
of the COVID-19 pandemic.

UNICEF is appealing for US$ 847 million to provide urgent life-saving and climate resilience support to 4.2 million people, half of them children, in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Eritrea, and Djibouti. Right now, 2 million children across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are in need of treatment for severe acute malnutrition.

This is a humanitarian catastrophe. Children in the Horn of Africa (HoA) are experiencing the impacts of one of the worst climate-induced emergencies of the past 40 years, with the lowest levels of funding on record not allowing the humanitarian community to respond as needed. Urgent aid is needed to prevent parts of the region sliding into famine.