The OND season is vital for the equatorial region, contributing up to 70% of annual rainfall in parts of Kenya and Somalia.

This year’s forecast points to below-normal rainfall across most of the Greater Horn of Africa, particularly in southern Ethiopia, Somalia, eastern Kenya, and central to southern Tanzania. In contrast, wetter-than-usual conditions are predicted in parts of South Sudan, Uganda, northern Somalia, Rwanda, and Burundi.

A delayed onset of rains is expected in southern Somalia, eastern/central Kenya, and parts of Tanzania, while an early to normal onset is likely in much of South Sudan, Uganda, western Kenya, Rwanda, and Burundi.

Temperatures are forecast to be warmer than average across much of the region, with cooler-than-normal conditions only in localized cross-border areas of Uganda, South Sudan, and Kenya.

Speaking at the forum, IGAD Deputy Executive Secretary Mohamed Ware stressed the urgency of coordinated action: “The Greater Horn of Africa is at the frontline of the climate crisis. Only through collaboration and early action can forecasts be turned into meaningful messages that drive timely response.”

Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, Dr. Deborah M. Barasa, called for shared knowledge and regional cooperation, while Kenya Meteorological Department Acting Director Edward Muriuki emphasized the importance of early warning systems reaching vulnerable communities.

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President Abdirahman Abdillahi Irro made an urgent appeal on Wednesday to international donors and Somalilanders at home and abroad to support relief efforts aimed at saving lives and livelihoods.

“Communities in coastal regions such as Salal, Saahil, Sanaag, and Awdal are experiencing extreme hardship,” President Irro said in a televised address. “The drought has devastated both people and livestock, threatening the very survival of affected families.”

The President emphasized that the worsening drought has rendered key grazing areas barren and dried up many water wells, leaving pastoralist communities without vital resources.

Livestock, a primary economic asset for many rural households, are dying in large numbers due to the lack of water and pasture.

“Food shortages, thirst, and displacement have already begun,” he said. “Women, children, and the elderly are especially vulnerable.”

In response, President Irro has appointed a national drought emergency committee composed of government officials and religious leaders.

The committee, chaired by Vice President Mohamed Ali Aw Abdi, held its first meeting on Wednesday to coordinate urgent relief and fundraising efforts.

Government spokesperson Hussein Adan Igeh Deyr stated that the committee will focus on mobilizing resources and organizing emergency distributions of food, water, and livestock fodder to affected areas.

Reports received by Kaab TV indicate that Awdal is among the worst-hit regions, with rural communities struggling to find water for both people and animals.

Many areas have seen a sharp increase in livestock deaths due to extreme dehydration.

“If the situation persists for several more weeks, we risk large-scale animal deaths, which will have a devastating impact on already fragile households,” said a local aid worker Sakariye Abdi who recently returned from Awdal region.

“The consequences could be particularly severe for women, children, and the elderly.”

In a show of solidarity, Somaliland’s cabinet ministers have pledged to donate one month’s salary to the drought relief effort.

The government is also appealing to the Somaliland diaspora and private sector to contribute to the response.

“We are calling for a unified and compassionate response to save lives,” President Irro said, urging donors and international partners to act swiftly. “Timely support could prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.”

The United Nations has also raised alarm over the crisis, estimating that 4.4 million people across Somalia and Somaliland are currently affected by drought-related food and water shortages.

The UN warned that the lack of international funding for its 2025 Humanitarian Appeal —partly due to cuts by the president Donald Trump administration—could further limit humanitarian assistance.

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