The United Nations (UN) aid chief Martin Griffiths on Tuesday warned that close to 2 million children are at risk of starving to death as the Horn of Africa faces one of its worst droughts in decades, reported Reuters.
While addressing a donor conference held in Geneva, Mr. Griffiths said the UN had just a fraction of the $1.4 billion it needs to respond to the drought-hit African countries of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia.
Notably, parts of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia are facing the driest conditions in more than 40 years. The months-long drought has destroyed crops and livestock, forcing hundreds of people to flee their homes in search of food and water. Several aid agencies are seeking help to avoid a repeat of famine this year.
“The harsh truth we must acknowledge today is that we are in a race against time again to avert large-scale loss of life in 2022, and we don’t have the resources to do so,” the UN aid chief said in remarks delivered virtually.
He said it is high time that the organization must act on a no-regrets basis as thousands of lives are literally hanging in the balance.
According to the UN World Food Programme (WFP), the number of hungry people due to drought is likely to affect the currently estimated 14 million to 20 million through 2022.
A fourth failed rainy season in the region is now a growing probability of resulting in one of the worst climate-induced emergencies in history.
The UN aid chief said already, that more than 15 million people in the region are experiencing high hunger levels and herders have lost some 3 million animals due to drought.
The U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the top global climate science authority, said droughts, heatwaves, and extreme rainfall are likely to become more frequent in coming decades as temperatures continue to climb.
