Somalia: outlook on drought

Somalia has seen a threefold increase in extreme weather events over the last 40 years. As at October 2022, four consecutive failed rainy seasons had resulted in a drought already worse in duration and severity than previous droughts in 2010–2011 and 2016–2017. Rain levels remain too low to alleviate the current dire conditions, despite light to moderate rains over the first week of November in southern and central Somalia.In the wake of a fourth failed rainy season, drought is affecting over 7.8 million people. This number is more than double the estimated 3.2 million people affected at the beginning of the year.