MOGADISHU, Somalia

The drought affecting millions of people in the Horn of Africa has been made worse by human-induced climate change, a new study said on Thursday.

The study published by World Weather Attribution, an academic collaboration studying extreme meteorological events, found that the southern part of the Horn of Africa, covering parts of southern Ethiopia, southern Somalia, and eastern Kenya, saw below-average rainfall for the last few years.

“As one of the world's most impoverished regions, the Horn of Africa is home to millions of people facing chronic food and water insecurity, malnutrition, and limited access to basic services including infrastructure, healthcare, education, and social welfare,” the study said.

According to the United Nations, the crisis in the Horn of Africa is considered one of the worst climate change-related disasters of the past 40 years, impacting nearly 37 million people, including over 20 million children.

Five consecutive failed rainy seasons have decimated crops, killed livestock, and destroyed livelihoods.

Severe shortages of water and pasture have pushed families out of their homes and fomented conflict between communities, according to the UN.

Over 25 million people in the region, including 14 million children, lack access to safe water.