Drought has left an estimated 13 million people in the Horn of Africa facing severe hunger amid the driest conditions since 1981Drought has left an estimated 13 million people in the Horn of Africa facing severe hunger amid the driest conditions since 1981Drought in the Horn of Africa has killed more than 1.5 million livestock and drastically cut cereal production, “and we are most definitely now sitting on the brink of catastrophe,” a senior official for the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said Monday. The U.N. World Food Program said that the drought has left an estimated 13 million people in the Horn of Africa facing severe hunger amid the driest conditions since 1981. It is seeking $327 million to look after the urgent needs of 4.5 million people over the next six months. In agricultural areas in marginal coastal zones in southeastern parts of Kenya, “we're looking at crop production estimated to be 70% below average,” he said. We saw animals dying together with their farmers, and the numbers I think are quite shocking.” In Kenya alone, 1.4 million livestock died in the final part of last year as a result of drought, and in southern Ethiopia, about 240,000 livestock died as a result of drought, he said.

Source: Ethiopian News February 15, 2022 06:53 UTC