The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has released a new report warning for increased hunger in Eastern Africa, Reuters reported. The number of food aid-dependent people, now already some 20 million, is likely to increase following poor crop forecasts due to continued drought in the region.
The effects of El Niño, which usually brings heavy rains towards the end of the year, could make matters worse, resulting in floods and mudslides, destroying crops both in the field and in stores, increasing livestock losses and damaging infrastructure and housing.
In Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia crops are expected to drop significantly and endanger the food security of many millions of Africans. But, worst hit is Somalia:
According to FAO's Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit, Somalia is facing the worst humanitarian crisis in 18 years, with approximately half the population - an estimated 3.6 million people-- in need of emergency livelihood and life-saving assistance. This includes 1.4 million rural people affected by the severe drought, about 655 000 urban poor facing high food and non-food prices, and 1.3 million internally displaced people, a result of escalating fighting and conflict.
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