Countries in the Greater Horn of Africa are to experience more rains in the coming March-April-May season.
This is according to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)’s Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) seasonal weather forecast of March to May 2024 released yesterday February 21, 2024, at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala.
While releasing the report, ICPAC director Dr Guleid Artan said that there is a higher probability that the region will receive more rains than in the past seasons as the areas of Kenya, Somalia, Southern Ethiopia, South Sudan, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and North-western Tanzania will experience wetter conditions.
Artan added that the early onset of the rains is expected in parts of Northern Tanzania, Eastern Rwanda, Southern and Western Uganda, Western Kenya, South Western Somalia and part of central Ethiopia.
Artan called for an urgent need for coordinated action and preparedness, to mitigate potential impacts especially in flood prone areas.
He added that although the food security situation will improve due to the expected more than enough rains, the negative impacts of past disasters associated with the changing weather shouldn’t be ignored.
The experts have now warned that the coming rains will increase emergency of diseases such as Malaria, yellow fever, and dengue fever, hence the need for adequate stocking of antimalarial drugs, testing kits and provision of mosquito nets; flooding is also expected and displacement of women and children due to flooding.
