UN: Horn of Africa hit by worst drought in 60 years

Ten million people in the Horn of Africa have been hit by the worst drought in 60 years, with the situation deteriorating to the point of famine in some areas, the United Nations said on Tuesday.

“Over 10-million people are affected by the drought in one way or other,” said Elisabeth Byrs, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

“We believe that the drought in certain regions is the worst in 60 years. In several regions, we can speak of famine,” she said, adding that the areas further away from the coast were hardest hit.

Severe food shortages
A poor rainy season coupled with rising food prices have led to severe food shortages in countries including Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda.

In certain areas in Kenya, grain prices are up to 80% higher than the five-year average, while in Ethiopia, the consumer price index jumped about 41%.

As a result, malnutrition rates are also rising, the UN agency said.

In the worst affected areas, they are at more than twice that of the emergency threshold of 15%. Eleven districts in Kenya have also reported malnutrition rates above the emergency threshold.

Byrs called for donors to increase financing in order to scale up aid. At the moment, the Djibouti drought appeal has only received 30% of funds sought, while appeals for Somalia and Kenya are only about half funded.

“If we do not tackle the situation as soon as possible, it could become worse,” said Byrs.—AFP