Drought may persist in Northeastern — forecast

 

The drought in Northeastern Kenya could persist, going by a new prediction of depressed rains between May and July.

The forecast, by the Nairobi-based Igad Climate Prediction and Applications Centre, shows the region will receive little rain in the next three months.

Currently, this region is going through a drought with at least 1.4 million people in need of emergency food.

The ICPAC forecast shows only western Kenya will receive wetter than usual conditions in the next three months.

Coast and Northeastern will receive depressed rains while the rest of Kenya might have normal rains. It also predicts the entire country will remain hotter.

“Warmer than usual conditions are expected over much of Kenya,” says the forecast given on Wednesday.

The 11-nation forecast covers the entire Horn of Africa, which is often affected by drought every year.

It shows countries neighbouring northern Kenya will also have depressed rains.

“Drier than usual conditions are expected over localised areas in south-eastern Ethiopia, southern areas of Somalia, and South Sudan,” says the forecast.

The World Meteorological Organization had already warned that the Horn of Africa remains at high risk of agricultural losses and worsening food insecurity because of the La Niña weather phenomenon.

 The organisation has said there is a 65 per cent chance the impact of La Niña depressed rains in the Horn of Africa would last until May in affected countries.

Earlier this month, the Food and Agriculture Organization also warned the region was still feeling the effects of La Niña.

“Climate extremes and la Niña-driven weather will likely continue in April and May, driving hunger in several parts of the world from Afghanistan, Madagascar to the Horn of Africa,” FAO said in a statement.

Impacts of La Nina explained.

According to the government, at least 1.4 million people are surviving on donated food in Northern Kenya because of drought.

Kenya Red Cross Society has already appealed for Sh800 million to reach both drought-hit Kenyans and 30,000 people facing floods in Western Kenya.

“We are dealing with two natural disasters that should be mutually exclusive, drought in one region and flooding in the other,” Red Cross secretary general Asha Mohammed said.

Mohammed said the current drought condition is worse than last year because it has been compounded by Covid-19.

“When people in towns have lost jobs, they cannot remit money to relatives upcountry.”

“So it’s not just people being unable to grow food, but also the purchasing power of people has been reduced yet the food prices have increased,” she said.  BY THE STAR