Temporary tents are left behind by residents as they have to be evacuated due to drought in Gode, Ethiopia January 12, 2023. (Photo: AFP/VNA)

In an interview with Saudi media, Dunford said the current food security situation in East Africa, including the Horn of Africa, is "the worst" in recent history.
East Africa is experiencing its worst drought in 60 years, after five failed rainy seasons. The region is about to enter its sixth rainy season but the outlook will also be less productive. Drought is affecting 22 million people in East Africa.
Mr Dunford added that Ethiopia, northern Kenya and Somalia face a food crisis, with half of Somalia's population in need of humanitarian aid. In 2022, WFP has significantly expanded its operations to reach more than 5 million people in the region, but the situation is forecast to continue to deteriorate.

Cattle die due to drought in Kajiado, Kenya on October 21, 2022. (Photo: AFP/VNA)

In a report released in November 2022, a group of 16 international organizations said that massive crop and income losses caused by severe drought over the past two years have affected millions of people in Somalia. , Kenya and Ethiopia fell into crisis.
More than 3 million people in these countries are facing food insecurity at an urgent level. This means they often fast during the day and have to sell their possessions to survive. In Somalia, drought has forced more than 1.3 million people from their fields to move to evacuation sites.
Mr. Dunford said WFP raised more than $4.6 billion last year, with the US being the largest single donor, noting that WFP is in need of funding from all donors, including Saudi Arabia. Over the next six months, WFP needs more than $455 million for relief operations in Somalia.