The World Food Programme (WFP), the food-assistance branch of the United Nations, is expanding its aid to the eastern Horn of Africa as the region continues to face intense droughts that are increasing the threat of famine.
The WFP said in a release on Friday that 9 million additional people have fallen into severe food insecurity in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, creating a total of 22 million who are struggling to have enough food to eat.
The region is in the easternmost part of the continent and includes those three countries plus Eritrea and Djibouti.
The release states that the WFP is tripling the number of people reached with food assistance in the Baardheere area, located in Somalia, which hosts tens of thousands of people who have fled their homes due to drought or conflict.
WFP Executive Director David Beasley finished a visit to Somalia on Thursday, according to the release. He met with malnourished children and their mothers who needed to leave their homes and travel long distances to receive help.
“People here have been waiting years for rain – but they cannot wait any longer for life-saving food assistance,” Beasley said. “The world needs to act now to protect the most vulnerable communities from the threat of widespread famine in the Horn of Africa.”
The release states that a drought is expected to continue across the region for months, as a fifth consecutive poor rainy season is forecasted for this year. The WFP is specifically targeting assistance efforts on 8.5 million people across the region, up from 6.3 million at the start of this year.
The need for food from the people in the region will remain high into next year, and famine is especially a serious risk in Somalia.
The WFP said in April that effects of the ongoing war in Ukraine have exacerbated the issues in the Horn of Africa, with food and fuel prices skyrocketing.