IGAD Executive Secretary appeals for urgent humanitarian response  

Addis Ababa, March 27, 2023 (FBC) – Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Workneh Gebeyehu (PhD) has called for urgent humanitarian response to drought affected areas in the Horn of Africa.

For the past two years, the IGAD region has faced unprecedented challenges due to a persistent and prolonged drought, marked by five consecutive below average rainfall seasons.

The heavy rainfall recently recorded might not reflect the overall performance of the season. The drought is not over yet, and member states must remain vigilant.

The consequences of the drought are terrible: severe water and pasture shortages, one million displaced people, over 10 million livestock and wildlife deaths, reduced crop and livestock production, all of which are increasing food insecurity. In some pastoral and agropastoral areas of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia, the risk of famine is real, according to IGAD Executive Secretary.

The Executive Secretary of IGAD, Workneh Gebeyehu, notes with concern the deteriorating situation: “47 million of our brothers and sisters are highly food insecure (IPC Phase 3 and above*) and some risk dying of starvation.

According to Workneh, 70% of these 47 million people live in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. “This is why, today, we solemnly call on the international community to help us prevent a major humanitarian disaster by committing requisite resources to save lives and livelihoods in the short-term, and continue investing in resilience building in the medium and long-term” he underscored.

He elaborated that Ethiopia needs 710 million USD to provide support to key sectoral needs in the coming four month as Kenya and Somalia need 378 million USD and 1.6 billion USD to provide food and non-food items and vaccination to affected communities and IDPs respectively until October 2023.

Dr Workneh Gebeyehu added: “Our recovery will require resources and time, and we must work to prevent future disasters from having such severe impacts”. Therefore, IGAD has outlined mid to long-term priorities to make the region more resilient and sustainable through ensuring more investment in climate resilience and water infrastructure, climate resilient food systems, among others.

Finally, the Executive Secretary stressed need to strengthen region’s disaster risk governance capacity to ensure timely and effective responses to drought and other disasters in the region.