They have nothing left. And the only way they can meet the basic needs of their families is by coming into the villages where they are now receiving WFP support. ” So what of the investments that WFP and others have made in the region over the course of the past 10 years? “By improving the ability of the populations to manage such climactic shocks, the needs are reduced and the impact has been lessened or delayed, ” says Dunford. Chief among his concerns now is the threat of reduced rations. “What does it mean for WFP not to be able to provide a family with the minimum monthly entitlement, ” he asks.
Somalia Lunchtime at a school supported by WFP in Garowe, Puntland in 2019. Photo: WFP/Madelene CronjéIn Somalia, the number of acutely food insecure people is expected to increase from 3. 5 million to 4. 6 million by May, if humanitarian assistance is not received. WFP is aiming to scale up its food assistance to support an additional 600, 000 people in the first half of this year, reaching a total of almost 2. 5 million.
Photo: Fredrik Lerneryd In Kenya, the Government declared the drought a national emergency in September 2021 and an estimated 2. 8 million people are in need of assistance. WFP aims to provide urgent food assistance to more than 890, 000 people in the worst affected counties as well as scale up malnutrition treatment and prevention programmes for women and children. WFP will also extend microinsurance support for smallholder farmers.
Workers on a new fishing jetty built by the Government with support from WFP and Italy in Hobyo, Somalia. Photo: WFP/Ismail TaxtaTo help prevent and treat the implications of drought, WFP will also provide nutrition support to women and children. WFP is also continuing livelihoods, resilience and food systems programmes to protect recent development gains and strengthen vulnerable Somalis against droughts and other crises in the long term.
Millions face hunger as drought grips Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, warns World Food Programme | World Food ProgrammeA WFP-backed food distribution in Adadle, Ethiopia in January. Photo: WFP/Claire NevillMore than 13 million people across Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia face severe hunger as the driest conditions in decades spread a devastating drought across the Horn of Africa, the World Food Programme (WFP) is warning. Crop failures and an abnormally high rate of livestock deaths are dealing a crushing blow to whole communities’ ability to grow, sell and consume nutritious foods, after three consecutive failed rainy seasons.
“Harvests are ruined, livestock are dying and families are bearing the consequences of increasingly frequent climate extremes, ” says Michael Dunford, WFP's Regional Director for Eastern Africa. “Droughts in the Horn of Africa are becoming more frequent and severe and are one of the key drivers of hunger across the region, devastating livelihoods and forcing families from their homes. These impacts reinforce the need for immediate humanitarian action and the importance of building the resilience of communities for the future. ” The lack of rains is also driving displacement as families are forced to move in search of water and pasture, leading to intercommunal conflicts.
Adow’s story: How WFP is changing lives By WFP Staff “The fear of poverty pushed me to farming, ” says Adow. “I used to be a casual labourer in construction sites. As I grew older, my body couldn’t do the hard jobs. I opted to do farming and I’ve never regretted it or looked back. ” The 64-year-old, a father of 10, lives in Wajir East, one of the six departments of Wajir County in Kenya where he took to agriculture 15 years ago, growing kale and spinach. Smallholder farmers Halima and her husband Adow are able to harvest chillis after WFP supplied them with a solar-powered water pump in Wajir, Kenya.