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13 million face hunger as Horn of Africa drought worsens — UN

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Agency Report

An estimated 13 million people in Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia are facing severe hunger as the Horn of Africa experiences its worst drought in decades, the World Food Programme said Tuesday.

Three consecutive rainy seasons have failed as the region has recorded its driest conditions since 1981, the UN agency said.

The drought has destroyed crops and inflicted “abnormally” high livestock deaths, forcing rural families who rely on herding and farming to abandon their homes.

Water and grazing land is in short supply and forecasts of below-average rainfall in coming months only threaten more misery, said Michael Dunford, WFP’s regional director in East Africa.

Some 5.7 million needed food assistance in southern and south-eastern Ethiopia, including half a million malnourished children and mothers.

In Somalia, the number of people classified as seriously hungry is expected to rise from 3.5 million to 4.6 million by May unless urgent interventions are taken.

Another 2.8 million people need assistance in south-eastern and northern Kenya, where a drought emergency was declared in September.

WFP said $327 million was required to respond to immediate needs over the next six months and support pastoral communities to become more resilient against recurring climate shocks.

In 2011, failed rains led to the driest year since 1951 in arid regions of Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Uganda.

Experts say extreme weather events are happening with increased frequency and intensity due to climate change — with Africa, which contributes the least to global warming, bearing the brunt.

AFP

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