Ethiopia going through with the worst drought in decades, and people are suffering from hunger. Several decades ago, the grass used to be so tall in the Adadle district in Ethiopia Somali Region that a big lion could hide in that grass but not anymore.
The community noticed that the district had been converted into a desert for more than the past four months. Around 80 families have left their homes in search of water, but this is not the first time district is suffering, according to Hana, a 49 years grandmother.
According to grandmother, this drought which threatens 13 million people across the Horn of Africa, has already wiped out 17 of her cows. Now she only left with five – devastating for a pastoralist.
Hana is resigned to staying put with the seven children she is the sole caregiver for in any event. She said, whatever is planned to happen with me is done – but we cannot move; we are going to stay here only and will focus on what little we can do to care for our cattle and hope that we survive.
World Food Programme (WFP) is doing its best in order to provide food to those who were poorly affected by the drought in the Somali Region.
Nearly 25000 families support the WFP in the region, accounting for 90 percent of those to whom WFP is supporting with the insurance, received a payout in late December to help them cope with the drought devastating impact. In total, $900,000 was distributed to the worst affected people.
Hana and her neighbours pooled their US $35 payout to buy 10,000 litres of water – a top priority for those who are unable to migrate.
In October, Abdulahi started to move his family of 16 from his village closer to the river 7km away to access water. Forcing this family to adjust to the changing climate, he also learned new irrigation techniques, which he is now funding with the recent payout from WFP-supported insurance.
He used that money to buy the fuel for the generator that helped him to pump the water from a stream to irrigate a plot of land to grow fodder for his livestock.
