Drought is a recurring problem in East Africa. There has been crop failures every year. The harvest has become worse and more people are becoming hungry. Is the situation going to deteriorate further because of climate change?
The news is already out. East Africa is experiencing the most severe drought in 60 years, which is wiping out cattle and crops, and has left 10 million people in desperate need of food, water and medical care. The drought is affecting areas of Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Uganda.
The worst hit is Somalia which has been described by many as a failed state. Since the outbreak of civil war in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of Somali's territory. Because of the drought, thousands of Somalians are fleeing the southern part of their country to refugee camps in the capital Mogadishu. More than a thousand Somalians are daily streaming across the Kenyan border. Somalian refugees are also arriving in neighbouring Ethiopia.
Children are suffering the worst in the long trek on foot through regions that are dry and without vegetation. UNICEF announced that 65 thousand children in Kenya are at risk of dying from hunger. Meanwhile WHO warned that the movement of the large number of people and the poor hygiene in overcrowded camps is increasing the risk of cholera, typhoid and measles.
The situation has prompted appeals for humanitarian aids from many organizations. Towards the end of last year when the drought was not as severe as now, the UN appealed for half a billion dollar to address food insecurity in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. The response was poor and some people believe that the present crisis could have been prevented by an early intervention. Now aids agencies are talking about a mounting humanitarian emergency, and have launched multi-million dollar appeals.
While supporting the appeals by humanitarian aids agencies, I still believe that aids are short-term solutions to this african malady. Yes it is not just a natural disaster! Africa needs to understand the dire situation of planet Earth, and should embrace a culture of scientific management of its natural resources, population control and drastic reduction of corruption. These are vital for any improvement in the socio-economic condition of Africa!
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