The Horn of Africa region could experience widespread hunger and malnutrition in the last quarter of this year amid a prolonged dry spell, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) said on Tuesday.

According to IGAD's latest analysis on the escalating food insecurity in the region, about 36.7 to 37.2 million people will likely grapple with acute hunger in the near future due to shocks linked to conflicts, extreme weather events, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Workneh Geneyehu, executive secretary of IGAD said the Horn of Africa region comprises 20 percent of the highly food insecure global population, hence the need for urgent interventions to avert a humanitarian crisis.

"There is a need for us to initiate a paradigm shift to a longer-term view that inspires us to come up with coherent, coordinated, and cost-effective development investments that target the root causes of food crises in our region," Geneyehu said in a statement issued in Nairobi.

He noted that the latest weather forecast in the region points to a drier than usual October to December season, leading to crop failure, water stress and competition for pasture among herders.

Three countries in the Horn of Africa region including Sudan, Ethiopia and South Sudan are currently among the ten worst global food insecurity hotspots, according to IGAD analysis.

In addition, nearly 79 percent of IGAD region's population facing severe hunger crisis is from the three countries, with Sudan, Ethiopia and South Sudan accounting for 9.6 million, 8.6 million and 6.5 million respectively.

David Phiri, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) sub regional coordinator for Eastern Africa said that governments should invest in climate-resilient farming systems, extension services, peacebuilding and early warning to limit the impact of recurrent droughts on livelihoods.

"Market access, anticipatory and emergency humanitarian response to crises must remain at the core of our collective response to build and protect farmer's resilience to shocks," said Phiri.

Michael Dunford, World Food Program Regional Director for Eastern Africa said there was an urgency to extend support to vulnerable communities affected by food and water scarcity.