HOLA, Kenya—East Africans grappling with the devastating effects of four straight failed rainy seasons are confronting the likelihood that the next rains will also come up short, deepening a hunger emergency that could tip into famine in some areas within weeks.
Meteorologists are issuing bleak warnings of a fifth disappointing rainy season, which normally starts next month through most of eastern Africa, and projecting dry weather into next year. Aid organizations, meanwhile, say that they lack the funding to stop people from starving, as local crop failures and deaths of livestock are exacerbated by high global food prices, which, despite some recent declines, remain around 8% higher than a year ago, and export restrictions in neighboring countries.