The Horn of Africa is set to lack rain for the fifth year in a row

Kenya is facing one of the worst droughts in the Horn of Africa, forcing many pastoralist families to face greater distances.

Here, a father helps his malnourished son in northern Kenya, May 12, 2022 (illustration).

AP - Brian Inganga

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

The terrible drought hitting the Horn of Africa, the worst in 40 years, is likely to get even worse, according to the latest analyzes from the regional climate forecasting center of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad).

Advertising

Read more

With our correspondent in Nairobi,

Florence Morice

The rainy season which runs from October to December is particularly crucial for the Horn of Africa.

It usually brings up to 70% of the annual rainfall in some areas, for example in eastern Kenya.

But the forecasts are once again bad: late rains and in less quantity.

A lot of this is due to what we call the Indian Ocean Dipole, a phenomenon that results in a cooling of the sea surface near our region.

It generally brings low rainfall from October to December.

This is also linked to the La Niña phenomenon in the Pacific which has already been going on since last year and which will persist

 , ”explains Eunice Koech, analyst at the Igad regional climate center. 

More funding for prevention

Humanitarians fear the impact of this missed fifth rainy season on agricultural production and livestock, while food insecurity is already reaching alarming levels.

“ 

There will of course be an impact on pastures and water resources, but also on food production.

Some fast growing crops are normally grown during this season.

All of this makes the situation very serious

 ,” warns Ahmed Amdihun, in charge of risk management at Igad. 

To read also: The Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in forty years

The latter therefore calls on the governments of the region to increase humanitarian aid but also to devote more funds to prevention to help these communities, the most affected populations, to adapt to these droughts, which are set to increase.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says it is very concerned about this situation, as 700,000 people are already at risk of starvation in parts of Ethiopia and Somalia.

To read also: Horn of Africa: Washington promises 1.2 billion dollars to deal with the famine

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_EN

  • Environment

  • Africa

  • Climate