Scientists: Climate change worsened Eastern Africa drought

By WANJOHI KABUKURU
Associated Press

MALINDI, Kenya (AP) — An international team of climate scientists says the ongoing drought in Eastern Africa has been made worse by human-induced climate change. The report Thursday from World Weather Attribution also said climate change made the drought much more likely to occur in the first place. World Weather Attribution seeks to quickly determine whether certain extreme weather events were influenced by climate change. Nineteen scientists from seven nations assessed how climate change affected rainfall in the region. They analyzed historical weather data, including changes in the two main rainfall patterns in the region alongside computer model simulations dating back to the 1800s. The UN says more than 20 million people in the region have been affected by the drought.