The Horn of Africa region is on the brink of an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, the United Nations and several aid organisations have said. Millions of people are facing food insecurity, as scientists and aid groups warned that Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia could be experiencing their worst drought in 40 years this October-December with drier-than-average conditions predicted. The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) has called for $473m over the next six months to offset the crisis. A previous appeal in February raised less than four percent of the cash needed, it said. In addition to delayed rains over the past two years, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has disrupted food supply globally and led to a rise in food and energy prices in the region. More than 1.8 million children across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia require urgent treatment for life-threatening severe acute malnutrition. Thousands of people have also been displaced from other countries in the region like Djibouti and Eritrea.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA