Withered crops. Burnt pasture. thirsty cattle. Mothers and children in search of water and food. Three rainy seasons have failed in the Horn of Africa. The United Nations (UN) speaks of the worst drought since 1981, with fatal consequences for the population. In parts of Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, more than 13 million people are at risk of acute hunger, according to the UN World Food Program (WFP).
Aid organizations fear that the war in Ukraine and the associated humanitarian crisis could cause other crisis areas to be forgotten. It is estimated that at least 140 million dollars (almost 127 million euros) will be needed to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe in the Horn of Africa. About $57 million (51.57 million euros) has been pledged so far.
In 2011, more than 250,000 people died in a famine in Somalia alone. Experts fear a similar humanitarian catastrophe if aid organizations’ funding needs cannot be met.
Somalis flee hunger
Somalia is again the hardest hit. There, 4.5 million people are directly affected by the drought and about 700,000 are fleeing, according to the UN. Last week alone, nearly 900 families arrived at the Al Hidaya camp on the outskirts of the capital Mogadishu. There, people live under plastic tarps held together by sticks. Once a day there is something to eat, corn and bread.
Among the newcomers is Safiya Abdullahi, who left her village with her six children in hopes of getting water and food in Mogadishu. On several occasions, the family had to spend the night outdoors and traverse areas where security forces and militias repeatedly engaged in bloody battles. All family members look emaciated and weakened, two of the children suffer from anemia and have measles. She led a relatively normal life in her village, says Abdullahi. You could live on cows and goats, but the animals died due to drought.