Drought and Food Insecurity Persist in the IGAD Region

Eastern Africa is facing the very real prospect that the rains will fail for a fourth consecutive season, placing Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia into a drought of a length not experienced in the last 40 years.

IGAD’s Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) indicates that the first month of the March to May (MAM) 2022 season was particularly dry. As a whole, the region recorded higher temperatures and less than normal rainfall.

📢📢The #IGAD region recorded high #temperatures and less than normal #rainfall in the first month of the March to May (MAM) season. Today, its Executive Secretary updated the #media on the ongoing #drought conditions. pic.twitter.com/JK7ymSE0uA

— ICPAC (@icpac_igad) April 11, 2022

“The MAM rains are crucial for the region and, sadly, we are looking at not just three, but potentially four consecutive failed seasons ” said Dr Workneh Gebeyehu, IGAD’s Executive Secretary, at a press conference Monday morning.

Adding that: “This, coupled with other stress factors such as conflicts in both our region and Europe, the impact of COVID-19, and macro-economic challenges, has led to acute levels of food insecurity across the Greater Horn of Africa”.

The Food Security and Nutrition Working Group, co-chaired by IGAD and FAO, estimates that over 29 million people* are facing high levels of food insecurity across the IGAD region.

“Already, 15.5 to 16 million of our sisters and brothers are in need of immediate food assistance, due to the drought. This is 6 to 6.5 million in Ethiopia, 3.5 million in Kenya, and 6 million in Somalia. In the southern-central part of Somalia, the situation is catastrophic, with 81,000 people at risk of famine” explained Dr Workneh Gebeyehu.

Dr Guleid Artan, ICPAC’s Director, added that “the severe shortages in water and pasture are leading to smaller food production, significant losses in livestock and wildlife, and a rise in resource-based conflict in the region. On the outlook, our early warning systems and indicators show the situation worsening in the coming months”.

IGAD is calling on member states, donors, and humanitarian partners to increase their emergency response in the affected countries immediately in order to avoid further worsening of the humanitarian crisis. Dr Workneh Gebeyehu said “we have to act NOW on the basis of a “no regrets” approach”. He further stated that “livelihood programs must scaled-up to protect the lives and livelihoods of our farmers, agro-pastoralists, and pastoralists. This will help support their recovery and self-reliance in the immediate and medium-term”.