Horn of Africa

Millions Face Starvation

Three years of unremitting drought across regions of Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia is pushing millions of people to the brink of starvation.

The Government of Kenya has appealed for urgent help.

The worst drought in living memory has struck 25 districts across northern Kenya.

Over 3.5 million people are directly affected, with thousands at risk of malnutrition. Malnutrition rates in the northern regions are estimated to be between 18 and 30 percent, which is far higher than the 15 percent mark which indicates a critical situation.
 
Livestock are dying by the hundreds. Their deaths in turn threaten the lives of the nomadic people who are dependent on the animals. Farmers are also in desperate need as crops have repeatedly failed due to the lack of rainfall.

 
No Water

Water is scarce. People are forced to dig to dangerous depths to find water, while women and young girls walk miles to fetch water from distant rivers, risking crocodile attacks.

Mandera, on Kenya's border with Somalia and Ethiopia, is one of the worst-affected regions with more than 150,000 people at risk.

Over 75% of the families living in this region have serious food shortages, while 40% face critical water shortages.

Poverty-stricken refugees from neighbouring Ethiopia and Somalia and internally displaced Kenyans are the most vulnerable of the affected groups. They are already relying on food aid to stay alive.