Turkana County, Kenya — Four years after one of the worst droughts on record devastated northern Kenya, communities are once again facing deepening hunger as rains fail for another season, affected families say.
Residents across the arid plains of Turkana report that even wild fruits and plants they once relied on during hard times are disappearing or drying up due to the worsening drought.
“Asinyen Akol,” 81, described the current crisis as the harshest she has ever experienced. “This year is very bad. This is the worst drought of my life. There is nothing to survive on… even wild fruits are gone, there are no green leaves left,” she said.
The drought has also left visible destruction across pastoral lands, with livestock carcasses scattered in areas where herders once sustained their animals.
The crisis extends beyond Kenya. Across the Horn of Africa, countries are grappling with similar conditions, driven by repeated rainfall failures and prolonged dry spells.
In Somalia, authorities declared a drought emergency in November after successive rainy seasons failed. The World Food Programme has warned that millions face acute hunger, with nearly half of Somali children suffering from malnutrition and in urgent need of treatment.
