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Environment
David Nash, Professor of Physical Geography, University of Brighton

Is eastern Africa's drought the worst in recent history? And are worse yet to come?

A man sits next to dead livestock in the village of Hargududo, Ethiopia, where there's hardly been a drop of rain in 18 months. Eduardo Soteras/AFP via Getty Images

Large areas of Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya are currently in the grip of a severe drought. An estimated 16.7 million people face acute food insecurity. That’s more than the combined populations of Austria and Switzerland.

Four consecutive rainy seasons have now failed since late 2020, a climatic event not seen in at least 40 years. This meteorological drought has resulted in a loss of soil moisture, caused waterways to dry up, and led to the death of millions of livestock.

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