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Some Facts:
• 11 million East Africans are suffering from the worst drought in memory. (Source: Kenyan Govt)
• The January bulletin produced by the USAID Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS) warned of a pre-famine situation in the East African countries of Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya and Somalia affecting more than five million people. The report stated:
"Numerous pre-famine indicators have been reported, including widespread livestock deaths, culling of young animals to protect breeding animals, distress migration, increased animal and human disease and high acute malnutrition rates...Conditions are likely to get worse in the coming months during the peak hunger season between January and March."
• The World Meteorological Organisation, a United Nations body based in Geneva, warned this week that the current drought will last until at least April. Some areas have experienced the driest month for 50 years.
• In northern Kenya, a severe drought has led to dried up waterholes and destruction of pastureland leading to the deaths of 70 percent of the total of a quarter of a million cattle in the region.
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