The root causes of food insecurity in the Horn of Africa

The Horn of Africa (HoA) region encompasses of Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Kenya in Africa continent. It’s one of the most food insecure regions in the world, characterised by frequent droughts and conflict in Africa. However, there are many examples of food insecurity with some of them having reached catastrophic dimensions in the region. The disadvantageous situations of women and children is particularly serious, as well as the situations among female teenagers who receive less food than their male counterparts in the same households in the region. Findings included that: political instability and civil strife; environmental degradation and climate change; poor economic policies; rapid population growth; poor food production mechanism; soaring food prices and global financial crisis; food quality and gender inequality. The study recommends policies and intervention that combating food insecurity issues to supporting food security in the region.