About sixteen million people in east Africa are facing hunger on a massive scale and Disasters Emergency Commission called on Wednesday a major appeal for funds to scale up the response to drought.
The areas struck with drought most include Somalia, southern and south eastern Ethiopia and northern as well as coastal Kenya.
There had been rianfall shortage of about 65 percent in central and southern Somalia.
Parts of South Sudan have already been declared Famine. About 100,000 people have been starving due to ongoing war and failed economy. United Nations report reveals over 40 percent of the population are severely facing food insecurity.
The report adds Somalia too is about to face famine and more than 50 percent of the country’s population need help at emergency level.
According to Somalian President Mohamed Abdullahi “Farmajo” Mohamed, drought is a national disaster. Until now in March more than 100 people have died due to hunger.
Many Somalis gathered Tuesday in the capital Mogadishu to pray for rain.
Some six years ago Somalia faced severe drought and about 260,000 people died.
About 5.6 million people in Ethiopia too are trapped in drought before the country could recover from the devastating effect of El Nino in 2015 and 2016.
El Nino is a weather condition when band of warm ocean water develops in central and east-central equatorial Pacific.
Kenya declared last month a national drought emergency and estimated number of people to face food insecurity could reach 4 million by next month.
United Kingdom has vowed to fund 5 million pound to DEC appeal raised from public.
