Ten million people in the Horn of Africa have been hit by the worst drought in 60 years, with some areas on the verge of famine and thousands on the march in seach of food and water, the UN said Tuesday. A poor rainy season coupled with rising food prices have led to severe food shortages in countries including Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda.
Cattle and sheep are dying at higher rates than usual, reaching up to 60 percent of mortality in some areas. "Over 10 million people are affected by the drought in one way or other," said Elisabeth Byrs, spokeswoman for the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
"We believe that the drought situation in certain regions is the worst in 60 years," she said. Food prices are soaring with grain prices in some parts of Kenya up to 80 percent higher than the five year average, while in Ethiopia, the consumer price index jumped about 41 percent.
As a result, malnutrition rates are also rising, the UN agency said. In the worst affected areas, they are at more than twice that of the emergency threshold of 15 percent. Eleven districts in Kenya have also reported malnutrition rates above the emergency threshold.
"Drought related displacement and refugee flows are increasing" as a result, said OCHA. About 15,000 Somalis are leaving on average every month in 2011 and seeking refuge in Kenya and Ethiopia. Byrs called for donors to increase financing in order to scale up aid. At the moment, the Djibouti drought appeal has only received 30 percent of funds sought, while appeals for Somalia and Kenya are only about half funded.
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