The Horn of Africa has seen its fair share of catastrophes, from natural calamities to man-made crises. The region is considered one of the world’s most fragile, tumultuous, and impoverished regions. Its nations are among the most vulnerable and ill-equipped to deal with climate change threats and shocks. The past 40 years have seen the Horn of Africa battered repeatedly by droughts, famine, and the resulting epidemics.
These calamities have catalyzed internal and transnational tensions, including fierce competition and displacement battles over land and water resources. The most heart-wrenching examples include the Ethiopian famine from 1983 to 1985, which left 1.2 million dead and 2.5 million displaced, and Somalia’s two devastating famines in 1992 and 2011, which claimed the lives of over 300,000 and 260,000 Somalis, respectively.
The Horn of Africa is feeling the heat of climate change like never before, as the impacts have intensified alarmingly. This underscores the region’s poor institutional readiness and lack of preparedness to tackle the issue head-on. As per the International Rescue Committee’s reports, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya were hit by the most severe drought in over 40 years, hosting roughly 70 percent of the planet’s most direly food-insecure populace.
The Horn of Africa nations rely heavily on agriculture, particularly rain-fed crops and livestock grazing, to fuel their economies and provide a livelihood for over 75 percent of people. This leaves them at risk of food insecurity during droughts. The devastating consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Ukrainian crisis add to their fragility. These have triggered global scarcities in grain and fuel, spurred an uptick in shipping costs and commodity prices, and led to a drop in international aid, leaving the region even more vulnerable.
The way forward
Taking prompt and decisive action at various levels is critical to avert a major humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa. Not only does the region faces the looming threat of famine and deadly diseases, but there is also an urgent need to enhance the ability of governments, organizations, and local communities to adapt and develop long-term resilience in the face of climate change and environmental and humanitarian disasters.
The above is an excerpt of the original article published by the Emirates Policy Center. To read the original version and the policy centers recommendations for the region use the link here.