Urgent asset protection support to safeguard livestock-based livelihoods in drought-affected communities of Borena zone in Ethiopia’s Oromia Region

Borena Zone is one of the most drought-affected areas of Ethiopia. In 2015, the Horn of Africa experienced one of the worst droughts in decades as a result of El Niño, with Ethiopia withstanding the worst of the impact. Significant rainfall deficits led to widescale crop failure, household debt, severe fodder and feed shortages and diminished water access in the northern rainfall belt of Ethiopia. It is estimated that over 800 000 livestock died, leading to substantial losses in production, incomes and assets. As a result, malnutrition rates spiked; severe acute malnutrition admissions of children reached the highest amount ever reported (including during the 2011 Horn of Africa crisis). As of August 2016, the El Niñoinduced drought had caused 2.4 million livestock-owning households to be in urgent need of humanitarian assistance across the country.

Livestock production is the most important livelihood system in Borena Zone, providing food, income, socio-economic welfare and insurance to pastoral and agropastoral households. This sector has been one of the most affected by frequent droughts, resulting in feed shortages and related emaciation, disease outbreak, livestock deaths, market imbalance and socio-economic crisis. 

With the overall oblective of safeguarding agropastoral livelihoods and enhancing the food and nutrition security conditions of households by helping maintain assets in drought-affected districts of Borena zone, the project reached 2 500 livestock-keeping households (roughly 15 000 individuals).

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