It has been reported that over 10 million children are suffering from acute malnutrition across six East African nations.
The East African region is facing its longest dry spell in 40 years and the fourth drought in a decade, according to Workneh Gebeyehu, executive secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) said at a meeting in Kenya’s capital Nairobi that was attended by ministers from all IGAD members.
IGAD is a regional group of East African countries, comprising eight members: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, and Uganda.
The meeting was attended by representatives from Sweden, France, EU, the United States Agency for International Development, African Development Bank, and UN agencies.
“Tremendously high rates of acute malnutrition continue to be recorded across the region, particularly in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda, and especially among displaced populations,” he said.
The report says almost 13 million people are currently internally displaced in East Africa, while the region also has some 5 million refugees and asylum seekers, nearly all of whom are food insecure, according to IGAD data.
Gebeyehu said more than 51 million people in seven IGAD states – or almost 20% of the bloc’s population – are estimated to be highly food insecure, including nearly 388,000 people who are at risk of dying of hunger.
IGAD reports indicate southern and southeastern Ethiopia, parts of Kenya, and nearly all of Somalia is witnessing the worst drought in 40 years.
The situation could soon worsen as weather forecasts for the remainder of 2022 are no better, raising the possibility of a record fifth consecutive season of below-average rainfall in the region, according to IGAD.
The bloc urged regional governments to “identify root causes of food insecurity in order to formulate and execute context-specific and cost-effective solutions.”
IGAD member states must also enhance food and nutrition analysis capacity, early warning and systems, and shift toward climate-sensitive approaches to development, Gebeyehu added.
