Horn of Africa hunger crisis pushes millions to the brink
Story | 24 May 2023
Emergency
The drought that continues to ravage the Horn of Africa was declared a national disaster in Kenya in September 2021. It now spans four consecutive failed seasons and has resulted in close to 2.4 million livestock deaths, dried-out water sources and sharply reduced harvests.
The number of people in urgent need of food assistance has risen five-fold, from 739,000 in August 2020 to 3.5 million in June 2022. It is projected to rise to 4.4 million between October and December 2022, with a record 1.2 million people facing emergency levels of food scarcity.
The nutrition situation has deteriorated in most counties. About 884,000 children aged 6-59 months, and 115,700 pregnant or breastfeeding women, are acutely malnourished and in need of treatment, up from 755,000 and 103,000 respectively since February 2022. Rates of malnutrition are expected to continue worsening in 12 arid counties – Baringo, Garissa, Isiolo, Kilifi, Kitui, Kwale, Mandera, Marsabit, Samburu, Tana River, Turkana and Wajir.