{"id":14873,"date":"2022-06-17T16:24:20","date_gmt":"2022-06-17T15:24:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/selfhelpafrica.org\/uk\/?p=14873"},"modified":"2022-06-17T16:46:15","modified_gmt":"2022-06-17T15:46:15","slug":"horn-of-africa-drought-and-food-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/selfhelpafrica.org\/uk\/horn-of-africa-drought-and-food-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"Horn of Africa drought and food crisis – a growing catastrophe"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Horn of Africa is in the midst of a catastrophic hunger crisis, owing to the worst drought in a generation. A desperate situation for millions of people is being made worse by the effects of the war in Ukraine, and the ongoing economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The consequences are devastating. More than 23 million people – that\u2019s 4.6 times the population of Ireland – are now experiencing extreme hunger in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. This is an increase of over 10 million people from 2021. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The worst drought in a generation for the Horn of Africa<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The severe drought conditions being experienced in eastern Africa – especially in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia in the Horn of Africa, are the worst for a generation. And it\u2019s far from over. The most recent March-May 2022 rainy season is reported to have been the driest on record. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although drought is common in this region, the global climate crisis has led to droughts becoming more frequent and severe. This makes it ever more difficult for affected communities to recover. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drought puts a stop to crop production, kills livestock and depletes fishing waters. All of these factors have a severe impact on food security. As a result, one person is likely dying every 48 seconds<\/a> in the region. Around 18.4 million people are now waking up hungry<\/a> in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia alone. This number is expected to rise to 20 million by September. Children are especially vulnerable, with 5.7 million children severely malnourished. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other devastating consequences of the current drought include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n