drought

Climate-fuelled La Niña in East Africa will drive millions into hunger, warns Oxfam ahead of UN Climate Action Summit

Over 50 million people are in need of immediate food assistance in the Horn East and Central Africa, with numbers expected to rise as the region braces for harsh, climate fuelled La Niña conditions, said Oxfam today. The warning comes as world leaders prepare to meet for a virtual Climate Ambition...

A man stands in a dry land surrounded by dead animals in Somaliland. Oxfam

Committed Or Complacent

Two years on after a devastating drought, the Horn of Africa finds itself yet again on the precipice of catastrophe, yet the humanitarian response to date is woefully inadequate. Where will the international community stand?

Women walk carrying a water jerry can in the Eilmidgan Village, eastern Somaliland. Pablo Tosco/Oxfam

Lives on the edge as drought bites in Somalia

Failing and intermittent rains are wreaking havoc in Somalia and Somaliland, but we are increasingly asking, is anyone listening? 2.2 million people are facing extreme hunger and 5.4 million need humanitarian assistance as of May’s end. It’s a staggering 15% increase from 4.6 million in December...

An expanse of an IDP settlement in eastern Somaliland. Allan Gichigi/Oxfam

Poor rains, persisting drought deepens crisis in Somalia and Somaliland

Sporadic, below average rains and persistent drought since 2016 sees an estimated 1.7 million people in critical need of humanitarian assistance in Somaliland, a figure ballooning by hundreds of thousands in recent months. Communal water resources are drying up at an alarming rate, forcing...

Women collecting water from a water tank in eastern Somaliland. Dustin Barter/Oxfam

Eastern Somaliland Protection Briefing Note

This briefing note draws attention to some of the main drought-related protection and gender concerns for displaced people in Somaliland and calls for comprehensive and sustained action by all stakeholders.

A woman fetches water in Turkana. Joy Obuya/Oxfam

Funding mechanisms to incentivize and sustain inclusive water in Kenya

Installing and operating new equipment is only one element in achieving sustained, affordable and inclusive access to water in northern Kenya. Strengthening the systems that would maintain water access to ‘the last mile’ is crucial.

A man standing by carcasses of livestock in Somaliland. Allan Gichigi / Oxfam

The intersection of inequality and climate change

Both inequality and climate change are hot topics, gaining traction as the bleak effects set in, but the intersection of the two demands far more attention and action. If we want to get serious on climate change, we must tackle inequality, and vice versa. Nowhere was this starker for me than on a...

A woman walking through a settlement for displaced people in Somaliland. Allan Gichigi/Oxfam

Drought, displacement and livelihoods in Somalia, Somaliland

In 2017, serious drought forced thousands of Somali families to leave their rural homes and look for alternative means to earn an income in urban centers. However, despite the limited livelihood opportunities available, these families do not intend to return home soon.

Oxfam supplying clean water to thousands of people affected by an unprecedented drought in Fadhi Gaab IDP camp, northern Somaliland. Allan Gichigi / Oxfam

Horn of Africa Drought Response

An estimated 27.6 million people across Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan are facing crisis levels of hunger. Of these, 9.9 million* people are in Ethiopia’s drought affected regions, 4.4 million are in Kenya, 5.6 million are in Somalia and 6.6 million are in South Sudan. Over 45.74 million...