The latest report from the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) determined that drought resulting from five failed rainy seasons has had a devastating impact on countries in the Horn of Africa, with nearly four million animals lost here.
The report added that while there are three million in Somalia and 2.5 million in Kenya.
He warned of unusually high food prices due to macroeconomic difficulties exacerbated by domestic grain shortages and a global supply and fuel crisis.
The situation – added the WFP – also affects the development of children because they do not have access to milk, which ultimately negatively affects their nutrition. According to UNDP figures, an estimated 5.1 million infants suffer from acute malnutrition in drought-stricken areas of the three countries.
The forced relocation of families seeking livelihood threatens the education of 3.6 million minors, and girls are the most affected.
WFP projections call for increased humanitarian needs in the event of another bad rainy season, hence the need for a multifaceted response that includes short-term relief efforts and long-term solutions, such as sustainable water management and climate adaptation measures.
He emphasized that $2.4 billion will be required by 2023 to meet the food relief needs of 8.8 million drought-affected people across the region.
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