Evelyn Elliott
On Tuesday, the U.N. World Food Programme issued a statement detailing the dangerous level of severe hunger that the Horn of Africa is currently facing. An estimated 13 million people across the region are underfed and at risk of malnutrition. The failure of the past three rainy seasons has spurred the humanitarian crisis; agricultural lands are the driest they have been since the 1980s, according to Reuters, and the drought is only expected to worsen as below-average rainfall is forecasted for the upcoming months. The barren conditions in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya have resulted in the ruination of both harvests and livestock, creating a widespread famine. In a region where much of the population are farmers and pastoralists, the results have been catastrophic, and many have been forced into displacement camps. With rising food prices and inflation, attaining proper nutrition is nearly impossible and has generated a large-scale catastrophe.
“We’re extremely worried about the impact of continuing drought and conflict on vulnerable populations throughout the horn of Africa, where a large proportion of the population relies heavily on crops to eat and sell for their livelihood,” said Kurt Tjossem, the International Rescue Committee’s Regional Vice President for East Africa. “Due to the poor rainfall and low crop production in the last few months, 2.1 million people in Kenya alone including refugees from neighbouring countries will be facing extreme hunger in the next six months . . . If drought, inflation and conflict continue unabated, parts of Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia will face emergency levels of hunger.”
While there is no simple solution to this multilateral issue, pursuing both immediate and prolonged programs is necessary. The domestic political landscape in some of these countries, combined with increasing global temperatures and the climate crisis, makes confronting this severe hunger issue urgent. International organizations have already engaged in efforts to limit the impacts of this famine, but more must be done. Investing money into sectors that have recurring benefits, like adaptive agriculture and flexible infrastructure, will help prepare the Horn of Africa for further changes in the regional environment that are likely to come. Without funding into the current concerns of severe hunger and long-term structural issues, starvation and famine will continue to imperil millions of people.
The threat of drought and hunger is not new to the East African peninsula. Only a decade ago in 2011, and again in 2016, similar situations occurred where a lack of rainfall crippled the region—during the 2011 crisis, 250,000 people died in Somalia due to hunger. In January of 2022, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization stated that $138 million would be needed to provide critical assistance to at-risk communities by the end of February. Such hardships extend to the children; about 5.5 million children are under threat of malnutrition, leading to starvation or long-term issues, including cognitive and physical impairment. The harm that occurs is both societal and generational, as the recent consecutive droughts could endanger millions for years to come.
With the dangerous prevalence of hunger and famine, countries must work together to assist the Horn of Africa. Action to support domestic efforts to reduce the impact of the drought carries consequences that must be the international community’s focus. However, this involvement must not be solely focused on temporary measures; the region’s infrastructures and institutions must be built up so that the populace can resist future droughts and famines. Despite the immediate concern of malnutrition, this crisis is not only one of health. As a result of the lack of rainfall, water and food shortages have created local conflicts.
In contrast, the economic livelihoods of millions have been threatened as the land becomes dangerously arid. Addressing this severe hunger crisis through providing food and investments into famine resistance is critical. Climate-based catastrophes impact communities across the world differently— regions where agriculture is critical, and instability is already prevalent are under the most threat. In these cases, global actors must work together to ensure that food shortages and malnutrition are ended and do not occur again.
INTERNATIONALIST 360° 