Millions at risk as parched Horn of Africa faces severest drought since 1981


Daniel Bardsley
  • English
  • Arabic

With landscapes parched, animals collapsing and dying, and people fleeing to camps with only the possessions they can carry, the drought in the Horn of Africa is already causing acute suffering.

Yet the situation could become much, much worse in the coming weeks and months, with the UN having warned this week that several years of drought, coupled with inadequate funds for aid, could put 20 million people, mostly in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, at risk of hunger.

Fears are high of a repeat of 2011’s devastating famine, also the result of extreme drought, when as many as 260,000 people died in Somalia.

“The drought itself is really very severe,” said Petroc Wilton, head of communications for the World Food Programme in Somalia.

“Somalia has suffered three failed rainy seasons with very poor rainfall. We’re now in the fourth rainy season. It remains to be seen if it will deliver the rain Somalia so desperately needs.

“The forecast rainfall is not yet sufficient to alleviate drought conditions. Things on the ground are critically serious, deteriorating very quickly.”

Things on the ground are critically serious, deteriorating very quickly
Petroc Wilton

In Somalia alone more than six million people ― 40 per cent of the population ― are facing the risk of acute food shortages by the middle of this year. Save the Children says that 3.5 million people in Kenya and up to 6.5 million in southern Ethiopia are short of food.

The Horn of Africa is facing what has been described as its worst drought since 1981 and the indications are that this year’s April-to-June rainy season will not improve things.

Rivers have run dry, crops have failed and livestock has died, forcing many in this region of farmers and pastoralists to flee, some ending up in camps for internally displaced people (IDPs).

A woman carries a water container at a camp for internally displaced people in Baidoa, Somalia. AFP
A woman carries a water container at a camp for internally displaced people in Baidoa, Somalia. AFP

The UN has predicted that as many as 350,000 children could die by the summer if the aid provision does not improve.

UN agencies and NGOs are in the region to alleviate the situation. Unicef, the UN Children’s Fund, has reached almost half a million people, almost 300,000 of them children, by driving in water supplies or rehabilitating water supply points such as shallow wells or boreholes.

Other UN agencies are also distributing water, including the International Organisation for Migration, which has distributed more than 33 million litres of water to 80,000 people in Somalia since the crisis developed.

The UN Development Programme is active in Somalia working on projects such as reservoir building and improving drought and flooding early-warning systems.

“It’s so severe because it’s slow onset. We’re working to avert a famine crisis … It’s [also] a water crisis,” said Victor Kinyanjui, chief of the water, sanitation and hygiene section of Unicef Somalia.

He said nearly a million people had migrated into settlements, but this raised the risk of disease outbreaks.

“There’s potential for cholera because the water supplies are contaminated,” he said. “We have people dying as we’re speaking, mainly the small children, who are extremely vulnerable.”

Resources earmarked for longer-term development have had to be diverted to emergency aid, while Unicef alone has a funding gap of more than $100m, having secured only one-fifth of the finance deemed necessary to prevent the worst outcomes.

The Horn of Africa is facing what has been described as its worst drought since 1981 and the indications are that this year’s April-to-June rainy season will not improve things. The National
The Horn of Africa is facing what has been described as its worst drought since 1981 and the indications are that this year’s April-to-June rainy season will not improve things. The National

Unicef, among others, is continuing advocacy with major international donors including the UK, EU and Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The need for increased funds is, said Mr Kinyanjui, “immediate”.

Greater support for aid is critical, Mr Wilton said, because it was a ramping up of assistance that averted what would otherwise have been a famine in 2016 to 2017.

“The concern is this time around we don’t have the resources to scale up, so we’re desperately concerned Somalia is on the brink of a human catastrophe,” he said.

“We’re really looking at a very serious funding shortfall right now at the worst possible time. Right now WFP is looking at a funding gap of $192m, and that is just for crisis response — the immediate, necessary food and nutrition assistance … The broader UN is facing shortfalls as well.

“We’re having to make incredibly hard choices about how we use our very limited resources.”

The UN said last month $4.4bn was needed in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, but there are concerns that war in Ukraine is diverting attention from events in the Horn of Africa.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has also made things worse by disrupting supply chains and driving up the cost of food, because these two countries account for about 90 per cent of East Africa’s wheat imports.

Wheat accounts for one third of the region’s cereal consumption, figures compiled by Save the Children show, and other foodstuffs have also become more expensive.

The WFP’s food assistance is primarily through cash-based transfers to individuals, which allows them to buy suitable food while aiding local economies, but further severe price hikes could make provisions unaffordable.

“It’s not too late, but we need these resources to scale up, because the need is increasing at a terrifying rate,” said Mr Wilton.

“In March, WFP distributed over 5,000 tonnes of food and almost $36m in cash transfers. We’re really operating at scale, but in the context of 6m people marching towards starvation or facing really critical hunger, it’s not enough.”

Another factor making the provision of assistance harder is a poor security situation, caused by the Al Shabab Islamist group, in parts of the region.

While climate change could be a factor in the severe drought the Horn of Africa is experiencing, there is no clear link.

Mothers wait for high-nutrition food and health services at a camp for internally displaced people in Baidoa, Somalia. AFP
Mothers wait for high-nutrition food and health services at a camp for internally displaced people in Baidoa, Somalia. AFP

Dr Caroline Wainwright, a research fellow at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change, part of Imperial College London, said the Horn of Africa, as a semi-arid region, was relatively dry on average and so more prone to drought. It is subject to the El Nino Southern Oscillation, which causes low rainfall in certain phases.

“In recent years we have experienced several La Nina events, which have led to low rainfall over the region,” said Dr Wainwright, referring to a weather pattern that tends to cause drier than normal conditions in Eastern Africa.

“In addition, Eastern Africa is experiencing a warming trend higher than the global mean, which may also be contributing to increased aridity.

“However, a recent study has shown that impact of increasing local temperatures on agricultural drought in eastern Africa is limited.”

While the 2010/11 drought was due to two consecutive failed rainy seasons, Dr Wainwright said parts of the region were facing their fourth poor rainy season, increasing the drought’s intensity.

Climate models actually predict increased rainfall for the Horn of Africa over time, said Bob Ward, policy and communications director at the Grantham Institute.

“The one thing that seems sure is that it won’t stay the same,” he said. “There are scenarios in which we will have to cope with periods of extended dryness followed by periods of intense rainfall., so you get droughts and floods in the same region with increasing intensity as a result of climate change.”

Remaining fixtures
  • August 29 – UAE v Saudi Arabia, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
  • September 5 – Iraq v UAE, Amman, Jordan (venue TBC)
From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

Roll%20of%20Honour%2C%20men%E2%80%99s%20domestic%20rugby%20season
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWest%20Asia%20Premiership%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Tigers%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Bahrain%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20Premiership%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Jebel%20Ali%20Dragons%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Dubai%20Hurricanes%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20Division%201%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Sharks%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Harlequins%20II%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20Division%202%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Tigers%20III%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Dubai%20Sharks%20II%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDubai%20Sevens%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Tigers%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Dubai%20Hurricanes%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Secret Pigeon Service: Operation Colomba, Resistance and the Struggle to Liberate Europe
Gordon Corera, Harper Collins

Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cp%3EHigh%20fever%20(40%C2%B0C%2F104%C2%B0F)%3Cbr%3ESevere%20headache%3Cbr%3EPain%20behind%20the%20eyes%3Cbr%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3Cbr%3ENausea%3Cbr%3EVomiting%3Cbr%3ESwollen%20glands%3Cbr%3ERash%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

Available: Now

Results

4pm: Al Bastakiya Listed US$300,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Emblem Storm, Oisin Murphy (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).

4.35pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Wafy, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.

5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 $350,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Wildman Jack, Fernando Jara, Doug O’Neill.

5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.

6.20pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 $400,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Barney Roy, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.

6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 $600,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Matterhorn, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.

7.30pm: Dubai City Of Gold Group 2 $350,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Loxley, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.

Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

THE SIXTH SENSE

Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Rating: 5/5

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Results

5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m, Winner: Zalman, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)

5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Hisham Al Khalediah II, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash.

6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Qader, Adrie de Vries, Jean de Roualle

6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship Listed (PA) Dh180,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Mujeeb, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel

7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Shanaghai City, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly

8pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 1,400m, Winner: Nayslayer, Bernardo Pinheiro, Jaber Ramadhan

'Cheb%20Khaled'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EArtist%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKhaled%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELabel%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBelieve%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
What are the regulations?
  • Fly it within visual line of sight
  • Never over populated areas
  • Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
  • Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
  • Should have a live feed of the drone flight
  • Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Abu Dhabi World Pro 2019 remaining schedule:

Wednesday April 24: Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, 11am-6pm

Thursday April 25:  Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, 11am-5pm

Friday April 26: Finals, 3-6pm

Saturday April 27: Awards ceremony, 4pm and 8pm

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.5-litre%204-cylinder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECVT%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E119bhp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E145Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDh%2C89%2C900%20(%2424%2C230)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

The Written World: How Literature Shaped History
Martin Puchner
Granta

Illegal%20shipments%20intercepted%20in%20Gulf%20region
%3Cp%3EThe%20Royal%20Navy%20raid%20is%20the%20latest%20in%20a%20series%20of%20successful%20interceptions%20of%20drugs%20and%20arms%20in%20the%20Gulf%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMay%2011%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUS%20coastguard%20recovers%20%2480%20million%20heroin%20haul%20from%20fishing%20vessel%20in%20Gulf%20of%20Oman%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMay%208%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20US%20coastguard%20vessel%20USCGC%20Glen%20Harris%20seizes%20heroin%20and%20meth%20worth%20more%20than%20%2430%20million%20from%20a%20fishing%20boat%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMarch%202%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Anti-tank%20guided%20missiles%20and%20missile%20components%20seized%20by%20HMS%20Lancaster%20from%20a%20small%20boat%20travelling%20from%20Iran%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EOctober%209%2C%202022%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERoyal%20Navy%20frigate%20HMS%20Montrose%20recovers%20drugs%20worth%20%2417.8%20million%20from%20a%20dhow%20in%20Arabian%20Sea%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESeptember%2027%2C%202022%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20US%20Naval%20Forces%20Central%20Command%20reports%20a%20find%20of%202.4%20tonnes%20of%20heroin%20on%20board%20fishing%20boat%20in%20Gulf%20of%20Oman%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
  • Drones
  • Animals
  • Fireworks/ flares
  • Radios or power banks
  • Laser pointers
  • Glass
  • Selfie sticks/ umbrellas
  • Sharp objects
  • Political flags or banners
  • Bikes, skateboards or scooters
CREW
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERajesh%20A%20Krishnan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETabu%2C%20Kareena%20Kapoor%20Khan%2C%20Kriti%20Sanon%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Long Shot

Director: Jonathan Levine

Starring: Charlize Theron, Seth Rogan

Four stars

Sarfira

Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal 

Rating: 2/5

While you're here
Updated: April 25, 2022, 1:00 PM`