The crisis in the Horn of Africa in 2011 rallied policymakers and publics to aid the more than 13 million people who suffered from a historic drought—the worst in 60 years—providing access to food, water and basic health services. But this was not the first drought, famine and conflict cycle that the region has experienced, and it will not be the last. Cyclical droughts are now coming faster than ever, and our ability to forecast future famine and drought requires the development community to change the way it does business to ensure that the more than 30 million people who live in the arid and marginal lands of this region can cope with future and recurring shocks.
