Droughts in the Horn of Africa have been increasing in severity and frequency, and aggravated by desertification, land degradation and climate change. With multiple consecutive years of poor rains, dry spells and drought, including the El Niño-induced drought in 2015/16, there has been little to no recovery among affected households – particularly those dependent on livestock for their food and income. In the Horn’s arid and semi-arid lands, the dominant livelihood systems are agropastoralism and pastoralism, for which pasture and water scarcity is a constant challenge. Pastoralists and agropastoralists are among the most affected by what has become chronic vulnerability to food insecurity, economic and environmental shocks and resource-based conflicts. In affected areas of the Horn of Africa, water is increasingly scarce and rangelands bare. Rivers and water points are drying faster than normal, and reaching alarmingly low levels. Across the region, livestock are starving and rapidly losing condition. Immune systems are weakened, increasing risk and incidences of opportunistic and endemic livestock disease outbreaks, and increasing the debilitating effects of internal and external parasites. Tens of thousands of animals have already died of disease or starvation, especially affecting cattle and sheep. In many areas, livestock reproduction has halted.