Last updated May 21, 2022
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Horn of Africa Drought 2015 -

Ethiopia

The worst Horn of Africa drought in decades continues to plague large portions of Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia as well as nearby countries, due to widespread drought worsened by El Niño and climate change.[1] 

Climate change contributed to the intensity of the 2015-2016 El Niño — which brings drier conditions to much of Ethiopia and northern Uganda[4][5] — in the form of very warm sea surface temperatures.[6] A 2015 study found that 20th century drying of the eastern Horn of Africa (Somalia, Djibouti, and eastern Ethiopia) is unusual based on the record and that it occurred at the same time as recent global and regional warming, suggesting it may be partly attributable to anthropogenic global warming.[2] Furthermore, multiple studies have found that rainfall during the more critical "long rains" has declined over the last few decades in some of the region's countries,[2][3] and one study linked these precipitation changes to increases in regional sea surface temperature (SST).[2]

Human-caused warming reduced rainfall in Northeast Africa by approximately 16 percent, contributing to substantial food crises.[6]

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Over the last few years, several countries in the Horn of Africa have dealt with on-and-off droughts that have been exacerbated by El Niño (or La Niña, depending on the location) and climate change. Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia have been the hardest-hit.