Drought in East Africa increases violence against women

As the drought crisis in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya worsens, cases of violence against women and girls is increasing in the Horn of Africa, according to a new analysis by the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Women and girls who become displaced in search of food and water for their families are exposed to great dangers.

Kurt Tjossem, Regional Vice President for East Africa at the IRC, said in a statement that the drought in East Africa, which has resulted from four failed rainy seasons, the long-term effects of the economic downturn from the Covid-19 pandemic, and limited resources within displacement camps, are putting women and girls at higher risk of violence. 

According to IRC analysis, Kenya’s Hagadera refugee camp witnessed a number of women and girls reporting cases of violence, which doubled from 198 in 2019 to 389 in 2021. In Ethiopia’s Somali region, one teacher reported that the school’s enrollment dropped from 300 to 20 due to the drought.

In Somalia, with over 250 women and girls reporting violence in 2021 in IRC project sites in Galmudug, Puntland and Benadir regions, statistics show more younger girls are facing violence compared to previous periods. 

“We know violence against women and girls is severely under-reported due to fears of stigma,” added Tjossem. “On the ground, women and girls are sharing that the cases of violence specifically targeted against younger girls have increased compared to other periods.” 

According to the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), over 50 NGOs and NGO networks have called for an urgent and substantial step-up in funding and leadership to respond to the humanitarian catastrophe facing millions in the Horn of Africa. Humanitarian partners have requested more than $4.4 billion in funding to provide life-saving aid and protection to approximately 29.1 million people in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya in 2022. For Somalia, so far, less than 5% ($64.7 million) of that has been secured. 

IRC is calling on all world leaders to increase funding to ease the drought consequences as well as providing protection services for women and girls in the region.