Weather extremes in 2019 were the primary driver of acute food insecurity for 13.2 million people in Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia and Uganda, according to a 2020 food crisis report. The IGAD report on food crisis released on Wednesday shows that heavy rainfall across East Africa from April has caused severe flooding and landslides. The Food and Agriculture Organisation says the bad weather continues to disrupt locust surveillance and control operations in parts of Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia. The prolonged flooding also raises the risk of outbreaks of livestock diseases, such as Rift Valley fever, and human water-borne diseases such as malaria. The expected enhanced rainfall in Western Kenya is likely to provide sufficient soil moisture for agricultural production.” The outlook states.

Source: The Star June 06, 2020 09:22 UTC