The performance of 2021 October-December “short rains/Deyr” rainy season was extremely poor, characterized by a delayed onset of seasonal rains, an erratic temporal distribution, and below-average cumulative rainfall. Across much of the region, this represents the third consecutive season of below-average rains, with severe impacts on household livelihoods, food security and nutrition. Through May 2022, FSNWG estimates that between 12 – 14 million people in southern and south-eastern Ethiopia, the arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL) regions of Kenya and Somalia will likely face high levels of food insecurity (in line with IPC Phase 3+) because of the ongoing drought.