Nairobi [Kenya], July 25 (ANI/Xinhua): The United Nations humanitarian agency on Monday appealed for urgent funding to help avert a looming humanitarian catastrophe in the Horn of Africa amid severe drought. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) warned in its latest report released in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, that lives would be lost if there were no more funding. UNOCHA said people in the Horn of Africa, which are suffering the worst drought in more than 40 years, face starvation after four consecutive failed rainy seasons in parts of Ethiopia, Kenya and of Somalia.

“Predictions indicate that the rainy season from October to December 2022 could also fail, resulting in an unprecedented catastrophe. Immediate action is needed to avoid the worst in the months to come,” UNOCHA warned in its latest report. on drought. The UN agency said at least 19.4 million people are affected by the drought that started in October 2020 in the region. He said some 18.6 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are living with acute food insecurity and growing malnutrition, warning that the number could reach 20 million by September.

According to UNOCHA, food prices are rising in many drought-affected areas due to below-average harvests and higher prices on international markets. Additionally, floods, COVID-19 and the locust infestation have affected communities across the region, and millions of people in Ethiopia and Somalia are experiencing conflict.

The report comes just a week after the UN and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a regional bloc, said more than 50 million people are expected to face high levels of acute food insecurity. this year in seven East African countries – Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda. According to the 2022 edition of the IGAD Regional Focus on Food Crises, released on July 22 by the World Food Program (WFP), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the IGAD, conflict, climate extremes, economic shocks, rising costs and now the impact of the conflict in Ukraine on food and energy prices is pushing millions towards starvation in East Africa East. (ANI/Xinhua)

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