The main reason for the current acceleration of the drought is due to climatic changes resulting from irrational dealing with the environment.
The accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere raises the temperature, which upsets the natural balance between temperature, atmospheric pressure, condensation of water vapor and wind movement.
Excessive cutting of forests and overgrazing of pasture plants are among the main factors that negatively affect the climate.
The main risks
One of the most common concerns associated with the drought in the region is the threat of famine. According to the reports of the International Rescue Committee specialized in monitoring and preventing natural disasters, three of the countries of the Horn of Africa, namely Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, are home to about 70 percent of the most food-insecure people in the world.
There are many expected economic repercussions for the current wave, which can be summarized in the failure of the agricultural season, and the weak forage yield from natural pastures, which will lead to the death of animals.
Among the possible social repercussions, a sharp decline in the income of farmers and herders, and consequently the spread of poverty and the subsequent displacement and malnutrition, in addition to children leaving schools and working in marginal occupations to support their families’ budget.
The recurrence of droughts leads to desertification, and this represents the peak of the disaster, as the soil loses its fertility and is swept away by the winds and can be washed away by water in the event of torrential rains.
What do the experts say?
Abdul Rahman Abdul Shakour, Somalia’s presidential envoy on drought response, confirms that the recent drought has destroyed the resources and income sources of many pastoralists, farmers and local people in many areas.
Abdul Shakour told Sky News Arabia that the current drought, with the disruption of grain and fuel supplies due to the Ukraine war, increased the risk of hunger in Somalia, which imports about 75 percent of its grain needs from Ukraine.
Abdul Shakour points to the catastrophic repercussions of the widespread drought and water scarcity, which have emerged in the high rates of displacement and the increase in the number of people at risk of starvation, especially in rural and agricultural areas.
According to Abdelshakour, urban areas also did not escape the consequences of the drought, as the activities of many small and medium-sized businesses were affected.
The same speaker believes that facing the effects of the current drought requires prioritizing the provision of life-saving food and medicines to mitigate the potential mass loss of life, which requires reaching regional and international partnerships in the field of short and long-term investments, especially in the field of food security, sustainable agriculture, technology, infrastructure and energy. Green and water management.
For his part, Hashem Mohamed Al-Hassan, a consultant in the field of natural resources, explains that the Horn of Africa region is considered fragile, and its rainfall rates often fluctuate below the generally accepted annual rate.
Al-Hassan told “Sky News Arabia” that drought is a natural phenomenon that occurs from time to time, adding, “For Sudan, the duration of the cycle is approximately ten years. As for the last century, droughts were repeated in the seventies, eighties and nineties.”
David Miliband, CEO of the International Rescue Committee, says that the international community is required to provide the necessary support to countries in the region to ensure that the tragedy of the previous drought, which killed tens of thousands of people and affected the incomes of millions of people, is not repeated.
A significant increase in the number of children exposed to acute malnutrition is expected, especially in the northern regions of Kenya and some regions of Ethiopia and Somalia, where it is estimated that 54 percent of children will suffer from this problem by next year.
Miliband stresses the need to accelerate international intervention and provide more support, explaining, “The East African region is uniquely vulnerable to food insecurity due to the worst drought in decades while still struggling to get out of the economic crises caused by the wave of the Covid-19 epidemic that struck the world during the two years.” the last two.”
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