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A HUMAN CATASTROPHE LOOMS IN THE HORN OF AFRICA - 18 April 2000

Year of publication 2000

Author Trade and Markets Division

Product type Book (stand-alone)

Series title Special Reports and Alerts

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) The Horn of Africa needs urgent and adequate food assistance to stave off famine and mass starvation following a succession of droughts that destroyed crops and decimated livestock. Food shortages are particularly grave in the pastoral areas of eastern and southern Ethiopia where deaths from starvation are being increasingly reported. The food situation is also very serious in pastoral areas of northern and north-eastern Kenya, west-central areas of Somalia bordering Ethiopia, and north-eastern Uganda. In the Horn as a whole, about 16 million people are in dire need, with over half in Ethiopia. In addition, as the main cropping season approaches, prospects for recovery are poor as rains so far have been late and draught animals have been lost or severely weakened while most farm families have consumed seeds in desperation to ward off hunger. There are mounting fears that, if the rains expected in the coming few months fail again, the situation could become worse than the devastating fa mine of 1984/85. Djibouti, Eritrea and parts of Sudan are also experiencing food supply difficulties due to adverse weather and insecurity in parts. Large numbers of people from Sudan are moving to neighbouring countries in search of food and water.

Language English

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