Drought conditions have affected herding and farming populations in southern and southeastern Ethiopia, southeast and north Kenya and south-central Somalia, with forecasts for below-average rainfall threatening to exacerbate already dire conditions in the coming months.
"Crops are damaged, livestock are dying, and hunger is increasing as repeated droughts affect the Horn of Africa," Michael Dunford, regional director at the WFP Regional Bureau for East Africa, said in a statement on Tuesday.
"This situation requires urgent humanitarian action and consistent support to build community resilience for the future."
Lack of water and pasture due to three consecutive failed rainy seasons has damaged crops and caused very high livestock mortality. In addition, rising prices of basic foodstuffs, inflation, and low demand for agricultural labor have reduced people's ability to buy food.
WFP said families were being evicted from their homes, leading to increased conflict between communities. Malnutrition rates also remain high across the region and could worsen if immediate action is not taken.
The United Nations has repeatedly warned of a prolonged drought in a vulnerable region prone to armed violence. Earlier this month, the children's agency UNICEF said more than six million people in Ethiopia were expected to need urgent humanitarian assistance by mid-March.
In neighboring Somalia, more than seven million people need urgent assistance, according to the Consortium of Somali NGOs. Experts say extreme weather events are occurring with increasing frequency and intensity due to climate change.
In October last year, the United Nations warned that more than 100 million "extremely poor" people across Africa were threatened by accelerating climate change that could also melt some of the continent's glaciers within 20 years.