Greater Horn of Africa bracing for rainfall deficits, warns WMO

The World Meteorological Organisation has warned that people in parts of the Greater Horn of Africa are bracing for a fifth consecutive failed rainy season.

This comes as millions of people have already suffered the longest drought in 40 years.

The forecast for October to December, issued at the Greater Horn of Africa Seasonal Climate Outlook Forum, shows high chances of drier than average conditions across most parts of the region, which will further worsen the crisis for millions of people.

This has been announced by Guleid Artan, Director of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) – WMO’s climate center for East Africa.

Last month, IGAD and humanitarian agencies raised the alarm that over 50 million people in the region are suffering from acute food insecurity this year.

Artan notes that significantly fewer rainfall totals are expected until the end of the year, calling on national governments, donors, humanitarian, and development actors to “adopt a no-regret strategy and help us weather the worst of this crisis”.

Rainfall from October to December contributes up to 70 percent of the annual total in the equatorial parts of the Greater Horn of Africa, particularly in eastern Kenya.

However, the start of the rainy season is likely to be delayed across much of the eastern parts of the region, triggering rainfall deficits.

Written by Juliet Nalwooga