• A long-lasting drought is affecting Somalia, coastal regions of Kenya and Tanzania, and central-eastern Ethiopia. After two years of below-average rainy seasons, severe and persistent drought conditions are leading to severe soil moisture deficit and are affecting the agricultural sector and increasing wild-fire danger. • In the last 24 months (July 2020 – June 2022), a severe deficit has been accumulating in Somalia (20% according to CHIRPS dataset, 45% according to the ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis). Highest local values, up to 70% (50%) based on the ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis (CHIRPS), have been estimated. • On-going conflicts in the region, widespread poverty, and food insecurity result in a high vulnerability and low coping capacity with respect to drought and natural hazards in general. • A total of 70 million people are exposed to some level of drought risk in East Africa. According to UN-OCHA, people needing humanitarian help include 7 million in Ethiopia, 4 million in Kenya, and 5 million in South Sudan. In Somalia, as of May, 6.1 million people have been affected by the drought emergency.

TORETI Andrea;  BAVERA Davide;  ACOSTA NAVARRO Juan;  CAMMALLERI Carmelo;  DE JAGER Alfred;  DI CIOLLO Chiara;  HRAST ESSENFELDER Arthur;  MAETENS Willem;  MAGNI Diego;  MASANTE Dario;  MAZZESCHI Marco;  MCCORMICK Niall;  MERONI Michele;  REMBOLD Felix;  SPINONI Jonathan; 

2022-12-21

Publications Office of the European Union

JRC130470

978-92-76-55830-9 (online),   

1831-9424 (online),   

EUR 31186 EN,    OP KJ-NA-31-186-EN-N (online),   

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC130470,   

10.2760/534446 (online),