The Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the EU published two special reports which highlights that the current drought in the Greater Horn of Africa is creating the most serious food insecurity situation in the world.

According to the two reports published by the JRC, the severe impact of the drought affecting the Horn of Africa is mainly due to several factors which have a relation with the rain. The shortage of rain over the past 12 months, comparable only to droughts in 1992, 1994 and 2000-2001 and the second factor are poor crop harvests linked to the failure of the two previous rainy seasons (October-December 2010 and March-May 2011), in an area where local food production is completely dependent on the rainfall. The JRC added that there are further factors such as an unstable political situation and fighting, which has caused the a temporary stop of humanitarian aid in some areas, and an increase in food prices.

The Drought Bulletin for the Greater Horn of Africa and a Special issue of the Food Security Bulletin show the most affected territories are the ones between southern Somalia, southern Ethiopia, eastern Kenya, and north-eastern Tanzania. The JRC reports warn that if this situation continues, it could eventually lead to further drought-related problems in these areas in the near future. A large area is also under threat between southern Sudan, western Ethiopia and the recently created South Sudan.