Drought is caused by drier than normal conditions that can eventually lead to water supply problems. Really hot temperatures can make drought worse by causing moisture to evaporate from the soil.  Droughts only occur when an area is abnormally dry. Somalia is the most severe drought-affected country in the Horn of Africa due to the cumulative effects of three consecutive below-average rainy seasons, severe water shortages, and rising food prices. The drought has caused large-scale crop failures and livestock deaths, impacting livelihoods and food supply. This shock is taking place in an existing fragile conflict environment with high levels of poverty, widespread water shortages, food insecurity, displacement, and deep communal tensions. The drought has caused large-scale crop failures and livestock deaths, impacting livelihoods and food supply. This shock is taking place in an existing fragile conflict environment with high levels of poverty, widespread water shortages, food insecurity, displacement, and deep communal tensions.

“When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist.”