Drought and Desertification in the Horn of Africa History Same as India

The Horn of Africa is one of the world's most conflict-prone and fragile regions. Countries such as Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Eritrea (along with some other countries) form the Horn of Africa. In this thought-provoking article, Faiza Mustafa says Africa contributes 3-4 per cent of global emissions and 17 per cent of the world's population. So, it is not responsible for the drastic climate events and yet faces the worst consequences of natural disasters such as droughts. She also addresses the vital question that how India after facing the same situation during the colonial era was able to overcome these challenges.

- Faiza Mustafa

Years of insufficient rainfall, COVID-19 pandemic, internal conflicts, political instability and soaring food and oil prices by the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war result in an entrenched drought crisis across Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Eritrea.

UN humanitarian chief warns of famine and a disaster-like situation in Somalia. Regional Director of Eastern Africa UN WFP Michael Dunford explains—“This is the worst drought, the driest it’s ever been in 40 years. So, we are entering a whole new phase in climate change.” The last major drought in the region occurred in 2011, which led to the deaths of almost 250,000 Somalis. Droughts are frequent and more intense now and are disastrous for the economy of these nations and the livelihoods of people. Data by the government indicates that 950,000 children under five years of age and 134,000 pregnant and breastfeeding mothers in Kenya’s north arid region are acutely malnourished. And around 3.9 million children are severely malnourished in Ethiopia alone—“What we’re witnessing is a threefold increase in the number of malnutrition cases. There’s an urgent need to invest in interventions to prevent malnutrition so that we don’t lose an entire generation to the drought,” adds Dunford.