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UN: Famine threatens drought-devastated parts of Horn of Africa
The threat of famine looms in parts of the Horn of Africa due to suffering from a devastating drought that has killed millions of livestock in the region, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday (May 31).
"Meteorological and humanitarian agencies are warning of the threat of starvation following four consecutive failed rainy seasons in parts of Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia," said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Four failed rainy seasons are a climatic event not seen in at least 40 years.
With Somalia facing the risk of famine in six areas, UN humanitarian partners are transitioning from drought response to famine prevention, said OCHA's latest situation report. It wants to target the most vulnerable populations and develop a Famine Prevention Plan.
The drought devastates livelihoods and drives a sharp increase in food, water, and nutrition insecurity, OCHA said. Some 3.6 million livestock died in Kenya and Ethiopia, and in the worst-affected areas of Somalia, about a third of the livestock perished since the middle of last year.
UN spokesman: Horn of Africa drought affects 18 mln people
About 16.7 million people face high acute food insecurity, and the number could increase to 20 million by September, the agencies warn. It has reached the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) Acute Food Insecurity Level 3+. More than 80,000 suffer extreme hunger at IPC 5, the worst phase.
OCHA said that severe acute malnutrition is rising across the three countries, posing an immediate threat to the lives of children in drought-affected areas.
FAO says desert locust upsurge in Horn of Africa ends
Meteorological experts forecast a substantial risk that the next rainy season could fail, leading to an unprecedented situation from October to December.
The office said: "The United Nations and our humanitarian partners have reached 6.5 million people in drought-affected areas across the three countries with assistance including food, water, nutrition, and health services."
"The response needs to be further scaled up to save lives and livelihoods in the months to come. We call on donors to urgently support partners to take swift action."
Source: xinhua
