UNICEF
Catastrophic drought: At least 10 million children affected
The number of children affected by drought in the Horn of Africa has risen by 40 percent in the last two months, the UN children’s fund UNICEF warns. photo
© Eva-Maria Krafczyk/dpa
The worst drought crisis in 40 years is threatening the lives of millions of children in the Horn of Africa. The UN children’s fund Unicef sounds the alarm.
The number of children affected by drought in the Horn of Africa has risen by 40 percent in the last two months, the UN children’s fund UNICEF warns. The number of those affected by hunger, malnutrition and thirst rose from 7.25 million to at least 10 million between February and April, according to the organization.
According to the press release, more than 1.7 million children in the three East African countries of Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia required medical care because of acute malnutrition.
Worst drought crisis in 40 years
The drought catastrophe in the four countries Somalia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Ethiopia on the Horn of Africa is therefore the worst in 40 years. Hundreds of thousands of people were driven from their homes by the drought that began three years ago. Unicef warns that they are extremely dependent on humanitarian aid.
“If we don’t act now, in a few weeks we will see a sharp rise in infant deaths,” said Mohamed M. Fall, UNICEF regional director for East and Southern Africa. “Famine is at hand.”
“We must act now to save the lives of the children – but also to protect their childhood,” Fall said. “Children are losing their homes, their education and their right to grow up safely. They deserve the world’s attention now.”
The Horn of Africa is severely affected by the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine and its consequences, such as reduced grain deliveries.