DROUGHT

Drought in Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda

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Map: Drought in Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda

GDACS has tracked this drought in Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda since May 21, 2026, 152 days as of its latest update on October 20. It carries an ORANGE alert: significant impact is possible and international help may be needed.

TypeDrought
GDACS alertOrange
CountryBurundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda
SinceMay 21, 2026
Tracked for152 days
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Detected by GDO.

What makes a drought

A drought is a long stretch of below-normal rain that leaves soils, rivers and reservoirs short of water. Unlike most disasters it creeps in over months, and its toll on crops, livestock and drinking water grows the longer it lasts.

Seen from space

Satellite picture, Satellite view · October 20, 2026
Satellite view · October 20, 2026

True color from the VIIRS instrument on the NOAA-20 satellite. The ring marks where the event was reported. Pictures: NASA Worldview (GIBS) from the daily satellite passes; clouds can hide the ground on some days.

GDACS report. Source: GDACS, the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System of the United Nations and the European Commission (CC BY 4.0).

Did you know?

Drought and fire. Drought dries out forests and grasslands, making it easier for wildfires to start and spread.

More: floods and droughts · all events

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