Worst droughts 2014

People in some parts of India may have heaved a sigh of relief after the rain gods showed some mercy and sent down some cool showers. But that's no reason to rejoice.

The monsoon delay has prompted climate experts to declare several regions as drought-hit. And mind you India is not the only place suffering lack of rains as farmers in West America too are suffering what is being dubbed as the worst drought in US history. From Texas to California, the conditions are so pathetic that a few states may even impose water restrictions for the first time ever.

If Indians are complaining about rising food prices, the citizens of Australia and Africa aren't far behind. The condition has led to food shortage and price rises. Coffee lovers too are disheartened as drought in northeastern Brazil has upped the prices of the world's favourite morning addiction.

Check out the latest report from the Global Drought Information System...

In June 2014, short-term global drought conditions remained relatively constant with degradation mainly in Asia and Africa. Asia saw drought intensify, particularly on the Indian subcontinent, in north-central Russia, on Japan, and in the Middle East. Conditions in Southeast Asia have remained constant or improved. Drought intensified in equatorial Africa and on Madagascar, as well as in South Africa. In North America, drought remained entrenched in the West while conditions in the North have improved. In South America, drought remained consistent around the equator and in areas of Brazil. In Europe, drought continued to improve throughout the Mediterranean and Black Sea region and in the Central parts of the continent. In Australia, drought eased slightly in intensity but spread to cover more of the East. Other areas of Oceana, to the east of Australia, saw a slight degradation in drought conditions, while to the north of the continent, conditions have improved slightly.

The following countries have been hit by drought according to UNICEF

• India: Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh have already been declared drought hit due to monsoon failure. This is being dubbed as the worst drought in 100 years.
• China: Residents of Shanxi province are facing acute water shortage. Drought has badly hit about 1/3rd of wheat crop.
• Pakistan: Millions of people have migrated from Pakistan's southern Thar desert as the drought has played havoc with the crops and livestock in the region. According to government estimates, about 3 million people will face starvation.
• Somalia: The country is facing poor harvest for the seventh consecutive year. About 1 million people of whom 3 lakh are kids are battling food stability. Flash floods and incessant rains have added to the drought misery.
• Sudan: Nearly 2.8 million people in the south part of the country are at risk of facing severe food shortage.
• Iran: The loss from drought is expected to be $1.7 billion. Iran has sought international aid to provide water tankers and water purifying units for drought-hit areas.
• Uganda: Food insecurity to hit nearly 550,000 people.
• Morocco: 70% of arable land in the country has been badly hit. The country has come up with a $633 million contingency plan to battle the worst drought.
• Ethiopia: Drought has put about 8 million people in the country at risk. According to UNICEF, about 1.4 million of those affected are kids under five years.
• Eritrea: Continuous drought and border war with Ethiopia has led to severe food shortage. Almost 1.3 million are suffering because of the prevailing conditions.
• Afghanistan: Nearly 10% of the country's population are at risk and need help for next one year. Meanwhile, about 60-80 % of livestock have died making matters worse.

PS: Some points have been drawn from official data and modified/simplified for our readers.