Why Are Millions Starving In East Africa?

By Daniel Wesangula

 More than 16 million people do not know where their next meal will come from and children risk dying from starvation.

British Olympic champion Mo Farah is supporting a charity appeal, launched on Wednesday, for more than 16 million people facing starvation in East Africa, including Somalia where he was born.

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), an alliance of 13 leading British aid agencies, are raising funds for South Sudan, Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, which have been hit by drought.

The United Nations has warned the world faces the largest humanitarian crisis since the end of the second world war with millions in four countries facing starvation and famine.

Here are some the facts about the East African crisis:

* More than 16 million people do not know where their next meal will come from and children risk dying from starvation.

* Forecasts for upcoming spring rains are poor, which means people will need water, food and emergency aid throughout 2017.

SOUTH SUDAN

* South Sudan is causing Africa’s biggest refugee crisis with three million fleeing their homes due to civil war in the world’s youngest country.

* More than 100,000 South Sudanese are experiencing famine, with a further one million on the brink of starvation.

* Almost five million people – more than four in 10 of the population – are short of food and water.