The Horn of Africa will experience a weather anomaly characterized by drier- and wetter-than-usual conditions between April and June, the Climate Prediction and Applications Center (ICPAC) of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a regional bloc, said on Friday, March 21. In its latest forecast, ICPAC indicated a high likelihood of drier-than-usual conditions over the eastern Horn of Africa, with the central and northwestern areas recording wetter-than-usual conditions during the season. Drier-than-usual conditions are expected over southeastern Ethiopia, central to southern Somalia, eastern Kenya, and isolated areas in western Uganda and South Sudan, ICPAC said. On the other hand, the IGAD agency said wetter-than-usual conditions would be expected over western Kenya, eastern Uganda, much of South Sudan, southern Sudan, parts of central to southwestern Ethiopia, Rwanda, parts of Burundi, and Tanzania. It noted that for most parts of the region, the corresponding temperatures would be warmer than usual during the April to June season. The weather anomaly is attributed to climate change, with the region being one of the most vulnerable to the phenomenon, according to the ICPAC and the World Meteorological Organization. According to a recent report issued by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and IGAD, some 66.9 million people are food insecure in the Horn of Africa due to climate shocks and rising conflicts. The Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula, is a large peninsula and geopolitical region in East Africa located on the easternmost part of the African mainland. It is the fourth largest peninsula in the world and is composed of four countries – Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Eritrea.
