UN: Famine Threatens 20 Million People in Horn of Africa
Severe drought in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia threatens famine for some 20 million people, the United Nations warned on Tuesday. A months-long drought has left the Horn of Africa on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe.
According to the UN’s World Food Program (WFP), this is the worst drought in 40 years. As a result, crops and livestock are at risk of perishing, and large numbers of people are at risk of being forced to leave their homes due to a shortage of food and water. In addition, the situation is now deteriorating further due to the lack of rainy season.
“While the long-awaited rains have yet to materialize a month after the start of the rainy season, the number of people starving as a result of the drought may increase from 14 million to 20 million by 2022,” the WFP said.
According to the UN programme, 40 percent of Somalia’s population, some 6 million people, face an extreme level of food insecurity and if current conditions continue, “there is a very real risk of hunger”. In Kenya, half a million people are at risk.
The war in Ukraine also contributes to the bad situation in the Horn of Africa. As a result of the war, food and fuel prices have risen, and trade has been disrupted worldwide.
