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August 29, 2026 - East Africa
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On August 28, 2026, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image of the rugged and arid landscape of Ethiopia (west) and Somalia (east). The Indian Ocean shines deep blue along the sun-soaked Somali coast.
Most of the area captured in this image encompasses arid, hot desert that supports little agriculture, although mobile pastoralism is practiced where conditions permit. Rusty red color marks areas where the land is especially harsh, with high temperatures and little vegetation.
Patches of light green show the growth of vegetation.
This region has been suffering from widespread drought and food scarcity, although good rains in February brought a flush of vegetative growth. However, below-average rains in June-August have raised the specter of below-average harvests in Ethiopia, according to the August 2026 Country Brief for Ethiopia published Relief Web. In addition, the report expresses concern that negative impacts of El Niño will increase food insecurity by November of this year.
The Somalia Country Brief published on Relief Web reiterates the concerns of serious impacts of El Niño which could continue drought while creating severe flooding in some locations, especially in the south, disrupting an already insufficient supply of food for many within Somalia. The report states that the country is “entering a critical new phase of hunger, where drought, conflict, displacement, sharply reduced humanitarian assistance, and rising food and fuel prices are converging faster than families can recover.” As of August, “Somalia remains one of the world’s worst malnutrition crises in the world, with an estimated 1.88 million children under five projected to suffer acute malnutrition in 2026,” according to the report.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 8/28/2026
Resolutions:
1km (226.4 KB), 500m (603.6 KB), 250m (317.4 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
On August 28, 2026, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image of the rugged and arid landscape of Ethiopia (west) and Somalia (east). The Indian Ocean shines deep blue along the sun-soaked Somali coast.
Most of the area captured in this image encompasses arid, hot desert that supports little agriculture, although mobile pastoralism is practiced where conditions permit. Rusty red color marks areas where the land is especially harsh, with high temperatures and little vegetation. Patches of light green show the growth of vegetation.
This region has been suffering from widespread drought and food scarcity, although good rains in February brought a flush of vegetative growth. However, below-average rains in June-August have raised the specter of below-average harvests in Ethiopia, according to the August 2026 Country Brief for Ethiopia published Relief Web. In addition, the report expresses concern that negative impacts of El Niño will increase food insecurity by November of this year.
The Somalia Country Brief published on Relief Web reiterates the concerns of serious impacts of El Niño which could continue drought while creating severe flooding in some locations, especially in the south, disrupting an already insufficient supply of food for many within Somalia. The report states that the country is “entering a critical new phase of hunger, where drought, conflict, displacement, sharply reduced humanitarian assistance, and rising food and fuel prices are converging faster than families can recover.” As of August, “Somalia remains one of the world’s worst malnutrition crises in the world, with an estimated 1.88 million children under five projected to suffer acute malnutrition in 2026,” according to the report.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 8/28/2026
Resolutions:
1km (226.4 KB), 500m (603.6 KB), 250m (317.4 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
