Severe Drought Bites Horn of Africa

GENEVA – Hit by the worst drought in years, millions of people in the Horn of Africa are struggling against severe food crisis and high malnutrition rate, with some areas on the verge of famine, the United Nations said on Tuesday, June 28.

"Over 10 million people are affected by the drought in one way or other," said Elisabeth Byrs, spokeswoman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Agence France Presse (AFP) reported.

"We believe that the drought situation in certain regions is the worst in 60 years," she said.

Affected by two consecutive poor rainy seasons coupled with rising food prices, the Horn of Africa was hit by one of the driest years since 1950/51.

The drought led to severe food shortages in countries including Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda.

Cattle and sheep are dying at higher rates than usual, reaching up to 60 percent of mortality in some areas.

“We are at the emergency stage which precedes that of famine. But the situation can still evolve," Byrs said.

"In some areas the situation is close to that of famine,� she added.

Food prices are soaring with grain prices in some parts of Kenya up to 80 percent higher than the five year average, while in Ethiopia, the consumer price index jumped about 41 percent.

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 percent.
Eleven districts in Kenya have also reported malnutrition rates above the emergency threshold.

"Drought related displacement and refugee flows are increasing" as a result, said OCHA.

Salting Wounds

Adding salt to Somalis wounds, affected by years of insurgency and civil war, drought forced thousands of Somalis to seek refuge in Kenya and Ethiopia.

"While conflict has been a fact of life for them for years, it is the drought that has taken them to breaking point," said Byrs.

About 15,000 Somalis are leaving on average every month in 2011, the UN agency said.

After the drought, the number increased to record over 20,000 Somalis arriving over two weeks at Kenya's overcrowded Dadaab camp.

Every day, about 1,300 Somalis, including at least 800 children, are arriving at the Dadaab refugee camb, Save the Children humanitarian agency said.

Those children, who have never been vaccinated, arrive at the camp exhausted, malnourished and severely dehydrated.

The humanitarian agency Medecins Sans Frontieres says many of the new arrivals are in desperate need of healthcare.

"Not only is the number of cases shocking," Melissa Fleming, spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said Friday.

“It's the conditions, it's the state of the people as they arrive.�

Although made up of three settlements, Dadaab is often referred to as the largest refugee camp in the world.

It is home to well over 350,000 people

But with Djibouti and Ethiopia also affected by drought, these new arrivals are putting further pressure on their already limited food stocks.

Byrs called for donors to increase financing in order to scale up aid.

At the moment, the Djibouti drought appeal has only received 30 percent 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.

OnIslam & News Agencies