Because of the drought there is no water and hardly any food, around seven million animals have already died. This robs the people of Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya of their last food reserves.
After two consecutive years of drought, more than 18.4 million people in the Horn of Africa are at risk of food shortages, hunger and malnutrition.
According to the UN emergency aid program OCHA, the number of people affected in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya could even rise to 20 million by September. According to information disseminated on Monday, more than 7.1 million children in the affected regions are malnourished, including around two million severely malnourished children.
The fact that around seven million animals died due to a lack of water and feed also contributed to the worsening situation. For the nomads and semi-nomads in the drought areas, the loss of cattle, sheep and goats means the loss of their economic livelihood, and the lack of milk has also contributed to the malnutrition of the children, it is said. The war in Ukraine is also having an impact on food prices in the Horn of Africa, and the lack of grain deliveries is making the supply situation and aid programs more difficult.
Hardly any water available
Many water sources have dried up and prices for water deliveries have risen by 71 percent since November 2021, it said. The lack of water also leads to a deterioration in hygienic conditions and more health problems. Since January 2021, more than a million people have already left their villages, including 805,000 people in Somalia alone. So far, only a small part of the funds has been raised so that the governments of the affected countries and aid organizations can fight the consequences of the drought and help the people, according to the UN. In the coming months, the equivalent of 1.6 billion euros would be needed.
The all-clear is not in sight: According to long-term meteorological forecasts, the next rainy season, which begins in October, could not help.
Source: Stern
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