Meteorologists are linking the unfolding drought to human-caused climate change which is leading to increased warming in the Indian Ocean, causing more frequent cyclones. "Whenever we have intense cyclones in the Southwest Indian Ocean, we always prepare for a long drought season in eastern and the Horn regions," Evans Mukolwe, the former science director at the UN, said. Aid organisations are already concerned about how worsening climate change impacts will affect the region in future decades. People affected by climate change cannot wait for one crisis to end before preparing for the next." The UN humanitarian office warned last week that the current drought "risks becoming one of the worst climate induced emergencies in recent history in the Horn of Africa."

Source: Standard Digital April 15, 2022 01:00 UTC