An estimated six and half million children could be at risk of starvation in the Horn of Africa as a result of back-to-back droughts in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, Save the Children is warning ahead of this weekend’s African Union (AU) meetings in Addis Ababa.
Nearly half a million children in the region are already suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
Several seasons of either failed or erratic rainfall have led to severe water shortages and the death of livestock, leaving nearly 15 million people across the three countries in urgent need of assistance.
“With the next rainy season expected to bring below-average rainfall across the region, the situation for already desperate children and families in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya will only get worse – leaving millions at risk of hunger, and even death,” said John Graham, Ethiopia Country Director for Save the Children, who will be present at the AU Summit.
