2023

Horn of Africa: Impact of drought on children
Created: 24/04/2023 +

Overview

Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia are currently experiencing one of the worst droughts in 60 years. The report aims to provide an overview of the key challenges children are facing given the drought in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. It is based on secondary data review, non-public sources, and seven key informant interviews with stakeholders at the national and regional levels.

This report benefitted from support by the H2H Network’s H2H Fund.

2022

Kenya: impact of drought in Turkana and Marsabit counties
Created: 07/12/2022 +

Overview

In September 2021, the Kenyan President declared drought as a national disaster. As at July, the drought had affected 23 arid and semi-arid land (ASAL) counties (nearly 89% of Kenya’s landmass) out of the total 47 counties in the country. These ASALs are prone to dry conditions and have recorded, prior to the current one, two severe droughts in the past 12 years: from 2010– 2011 and from 2016–2017. Compared to the previous droughts, the current one (2020–2022) has been the most severe and has lasted the longest, spanning four consecutive belowaverage rainy seasons. 4.4 million people are projected to face acute food insecurity at Crisis (IPC Phase 3) or worse food insecurity levels in these 23 counties between October–December 2022.

Kenya: Impact of drought
Created: 31/03/2022 +

Overview

The Kenya Government declared drought affecting parts of the country a national disaster in September 2021. These drought conditions resulted from three consecutive below-average rainy seasons beginning with the October–December 2020 rainy season. Consequently, 3.5 million people are estimated to face acute food insecurity and need humanitarian assistance in March–May 2022. This report highlights the impact of the current drought on marginalised communities in Kenya's arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs). It examines their pre-existing socioeconomic vulnerabilities and humanitarian needs. It also analyses the possible progression of drought based on climate outlooks.

2020

Outbreaks in East Africa: Desert Locusts and COVID-19
Created: 14/05/2020 +

Overview

This report explores how government measures taken to contain the spread of COVID-19 may hinder the response to the ongoing desert locust outbreak in East Africa. The analysis also examines the secondary impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in tandem with those of the desert locust outbreak. The focus is primarily on the three countries most heavily impacted by locust infestations to date: Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia.

2019

Horn of Africa: Drought
Created: 22/07/2019 +

Overview

The Horn of Africa (HoA) (including northeast Uganda) is currently experiencing a prolonged drought, largely as a result of below average precipitation from the seasonal short rains (April-July) and long rains (October-December). Prevailing dry conditions across the region have led to the deterioration of farmland and pastures, loss of livestock, sharply increased food prices, and reduction of the availability of water in large areas of Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya. At the regional level, the number of severely food insecure people has increased to approximately 12 million, in large part as a result of the drought. Pre-existing protection, health, WASH, and shelter needs have been also been exacerbated. The humanitarian needs of the region’s growing displaced population are of particular concern.

Kenya: Drought
Created: 05/06/2019 +

Overview

Kenya is currently experiencing a prolonged drought largely as a result of below average precipitation from the seasonal short rains (October-December) and long rains (April-June). Prevailing dry conditions across the Horn of Africa have led to the deterioration of farmland and pastures, loss of livestock, sharply increased food prices, and reduction of the availability of water, in Kenya as well as Somalia, Ethiopia and Uganda. Food, livelihood, WASH, health, and protection needs are present, particularly in Kenya’s pastoral zones in the north and northeast, and are expected to increase in the coming months with the continuation of the 2019 lean season through September.

2018

Kenya: Floods
Created: 04/05/2018 +

Overview

Significantly above-average rainfall since the beginning of the Long Rains rainy season in March have led to flooding across the country. Between 244,000 and 260,000 people are estimated to have been displaced. Rains are expected to continue in the following weeks, meaning further flooding is likely and recovery will take time. Among the displaced population, there are needs for shelter, food, WASH, and health assistance. Active cholera outbreaks are ongoing in Garissa, Turkana, Meru, West Pokot, Isiolo, and Nairobi, and there is a risk of further spread or new outbreaks in flood-affected areas. Response is ongoing but capacity is stretched.

Kenya: Displacement from Ethiopia
Created: 22/03/2018 +

Overview

Following security operations in Moyale, Ethiopia, some 10,000 people have been displaced to Moyale in Marsabit county, Kenya, since 10 March. The displaced population is currently staying in makeshift camps around Moyale. 80% of the displaced people are women and children, including 600 pregnant women and 1,500 children under five. Multisectoral assistance is urgently needed.

Humanitarian Access Overview
Created: 14/03/2018 +

Overview

Our methodology uses 9 indicators grouped in 3 categories:
-    Access of humanitarian actors to affected population
-    Access of people in need to humanitarian aid
-    Security and physical constraints
Each category is measured through proxy indicators, such as violence against personnel, denial of needs, or active hostilities.
Data is collected at the country level and may therefore not show disparities between sub-regions.

Read the Humanitarian Access Overview in Spanish

Read the Humanitarian Access Overview in French

 

2017

Humanitarian Access Overview
Created: 17/08/2017 +

Overview

Our methodology uses 9 indicators grouped in 3 categories:
-    Access of humanitarian actors to affected population
-    Access of people in need to humanitarian aid
-    Security and physical constraints
Each category is measured through proxy indicators, such as violence against personnel, denial of needs, or active hostilities.
Data is collected at the country level and may therefore not show disparities between sub-regions.

Africa: Fall Armyworm Outbreaks
Created: 25/04/2017 +

Overview

Outbreaks of Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, have been reported in DRC, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Swaziland, Ghana and Kenya. Regionally, around 330,000 hectares of staple crops, especially maize, have been affected. The remaining southern African mainland countries remain at high risk. The severity of the impact on regional crop production is yet to be established. The damages caused by the infestation depend on the stage at which the pest attacked the plant. Crops that were infested during the early stages of crop development, in late December, had to be replanted, while those infested later in their growth seem to have recovered without intervention.

Update: The further spread of Fall Armyworm was observed in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe in March. Damage from existing outbreaks was also sustained in Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia. While further outbreaks are expected only in northern Tanzania in the coming months, all countries are advised to continue monitoring diligently and to apply appropriate preventative measures. Although the Fall Armyworm season is expected to end in June, long-term impacts are expected for affected countries, and neighbouring countries should also remain diligent. 

2016

Kenya Drought
Created: 07/09/2016 +

Overview

As of July, 1.2 million people in Kenya acutely need food assistance, an increase of 500,000 from February. Most food insecure people are in Garissa, Tana River, and Isiolo counties, in the centre-east. Such levels of food insecurity are typical for Kenya and do not represent any major deterioration.

This briefing note focuses on four counties in the pastoral northwest and northeast (Mandera, Marsabit, Turkana, West Pokot), and on two counties in southeast and coastal areas (Kilifi, Tana River). Tana River, Marsabit. and Kilifi are worst affected. Global acute malnutrition (GAM) and severe acute malnutrition (SAM) rates are reported to be above the emergency threshold in West Pokot and Turkana, where malnutrition rates are often very high.