Drought leaves over 2 million facing hunger in Kenya’s northeast

More than two million people in Kenya are facing hunger as severe drought devastates livestock-dependent communities in the country’s northeast, according to the United Nations and humanitarian agencies .

Emaciated cattle near the Somali border have underscored the growing impact of climate change in the Horn of Africa. The worst-hit areas include arid counties such as Mandera, Wajir and Garissa , where livelihoods depend almost entirely on seasonal rainfall.

Although Kenya has major rivers like the Tana and Athi , much of the northeast has few permanent water sources , and nearly 80 percent of agriculture is rain-fed , leaving communities highly vulnerable when rains fail. Limited irrigation and uneven water distribution have worsened the crisis.

Kenya’s National Drought Management Authority says at least 10 counties are experiencing drought conditions, with Mandera reaching the “ alarm ” level, marked by critical water shortages, livestock deaths and rising child malnutrition.

The October-December rainy season was among the driest on record, with parts of eastern Kenya experiencing their driest conditions for that period since 1981 , the UN health agency reported. Four consecutive wet seasons have failed across parts of the Horn of Africa.

The crisis echoes the 2020-2023 drought , when millions of animals died across Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia, and famine in Somalia was narrowly avoided through international aid.

The drought is also affecting Somalia, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda , the World Health Organization warned. In southern Somalia, aid groups report “shocking food shortages,” with more than three million people displaced and about 70 percent of families in Baidoa surviving on one meal a day or less .

Experts link the worsening drought to climate change , noting that warming in the Indian Ocean is disrupting rainfall patterns while droughts grow longer and more severe. Africa, which contributes only 3-4 percent of global emissions , remains one of the most vulnerable regions due to reliance on rain-fed agriculture and limited disaster preparedness.

Humanitarian agencies warn that without urgent international assistance and long-term investment in water and climate resilience, drought-driven hunger will continue to threaten millions across East Africa.