It is the same old problems coming back to prey on the precarious food security situation in the horn of Africa. 

Conflict in Ethiopia, Somalia and Yemen and the changing climate have pushed the horn of Africa on its knees in relation to food security.

Three consecutive failed rainy seasons have left more than 20 million people in eastern Africa exposed to the worst food security risks in 35 years.

As a result, experts in climate and agriculture are advising governments and relief agencies to expect a significant need for food assistance in Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia.

The situation could worsen in the coming months as weather experts say an going La Niña conditions in the Pacific Ocean, half a world away, could create persistent dry weather during the next rainy season (March-May).

This is contained in alerts from the Famine Early Warning Systems (FEWS NET), a program supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

FEWS NET analyses food security (particularly conditions for farming and livestock husbandry) to help governments and relief agencies plan for and respond to humanitarian crises.