Drought leaves a trail of destruction in parts of Ethiopia
Pastoral and agro-pastoral communities count losses as three seasonal rains fail
Halima Mohammed sat on her veranda, glancing at the dusty ground and dry shrubs surrounding her homestead. Carcasses of goats, sheep, and cattle scattered around her compound emit a foul smell that the strong wind carries away. "These carcasses are the only evidence that I owned a large livestock herd," she said. Out of 300, Halima had lost 260 shoats by March 2022. “The animals fall sick or become emaciated and eventually die," she added. In her village in Gode, Shebelle Zone, Somali region, a La Nina-induced drought has raged on for over a year, failing three consecutive seasons and leaving the community desperate. Because all the nearby water wells have dried, Halima and her household rely on the government's 40 litres of water delivered every week. "We have to share the water with the livestock. It is a tough choice", she added.
Without milk and meat from the livestock, and income to buy food and other essential commodities, Halima is now relying on humanitarian aid to survive. "We derive our livelihood from livestock. When they die or are unproductive, our health and wellbeing are also affected. This is the most desperate I have been all my life," she says with sadness.
Halima is among over 8 million people that have been affected by the third consecutive drought that has gripped eastern and southeastern Ethiopia in the regions of Oromia, Somali, and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples (SNNP). The affected communities are experiencing acute water shortage, failed harvest, and livestock deaths, leading to reduced food stock and income. Ahmed Seid, 64 in Hoomey Kebele, Berhano Woreda, Somali region, said, "This is the worst drought I have witnessed in 40 years". Water wells in his village have dried up, leaving only one. Livestock and humans are sharing the muddy water drawn from the bottom of the well. Although he has 150 goats (Lost 150 to drought), most of them are emaciated and not productive.
The lack of pasture and water has exposed animals to diseases due to low immunity, resulting in the low productivity of breeding animals. There are increasing livestock diseases in the drought-affected regions, including sheep and goat pox; Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia; Anthrax; Black Leg; Foot and Mouth Disease; and Lumpy Skin disease. Moreover, drought- related animal deaths have been increasing. By April 2022,
1.5 million livestock had died while many remained weak, sickly, and emaciated. In desperate attempts to survive, scores of pastoralists have migrated to new locations, many trekking for days and weeks to find water and food for their remaining livestock. Fatouma Ankula, 20, and her family lost all their livestock (50 shoats and 40 cattle) and moved to a camp for Internally Displaced Persons in the Gode district. "We lost our only livelihood and now depend on donations and food aid, “ she said.
Fatouma is afraid that the family will become destitute without getting help to restock her herd. "My baby is only seven months old but has gone without milk for months. I am worried about her health", she said. The Fafan Zone in Somali was hosting more than 1.5 million livestock from other zones by February 2022. Pastoralists from the Somali region have also moved livestock to the Bale and Hararge zones of Oromia. The migration has put additional strain on the hosting zones’ water, pasture, and social services, including health.
Contacts
Rachel Nandelenga
Communications Consultant