Cattle are getting skinnier: livestock prices are falling
(Photo: © Jaspreet Kindra/IRIN)Classified as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world by the United Nations, more than 13 million people across many parts of the Horn of Africa have been affected by the worst drought in 60 years.
It is estimated that before the year is out, approximately 4.65 million people in Ethiopia (let alone Somalia, Kenya and Djibouti) are likely to need food aid.
CMS mission partner Rosemary Burke, who is seconded to work with Tearfund, provides this special update on the crisis from her base in country.
THE DROUGHT-STRICKEN AREAS that have been publicised in the media are mainly in the far south and east of the country – Afar, Ogaden and Borena.
The expected October-December 2010 rainfall did not occur and there hasn't been any rain since. As a result, the grass has died and water holes and ponds have dried up.
But the problems are not restricted to the areas receiving current media attention.
Food gap
In the south, the September–November 2010 rains failed and an estimated 300,000 cattle died.
The 'small' rains (February–April 2011) were six weeks late and poorly distributed, so there is a food gap.
The early sweet potato crop was lost and the haricot bean crop was much reduced. That is what people would have been eating now but there is little food currently.
The next rains are due any time now. Many water schemes – like bore holes – are not working because the pumps are broken.
We are working with the local churches to implement cash-for-work schemes in their communities to tide people over until the end of this year at least, and to assess whether supplementary feeding programmes for children may be necessary.
In our project with the church in North Showa, there’s been no rain at all since last September and the ponds and streams have dried up so the women have to go further and further each day to find water.
The return trip now takes six hours.
Nothing has been planted and the sorghum season has been missed. Livestock feed is also running short.
Again, we are looking with local churches at bringing in water in tankers; and at cash-for-work schemes and supplementary feeding.
Prices rising
In the highland cereal growing areas there is rain but the wheat harvest has been affected by a disease called rust. This is a general problem in the Horn of Africa and its effect is to keep wheat – and hence bread – prices high.
This, combined with drought, means food prices in Ethiopia are rising fast.
So even if food is available people cannot afford it, or are being forced to sell their assets to survive.
In seeming contradiction, livestock prices are falling in drought affected areas – partly because the animals are getting skinnier and partly because the market is over-supplied: everyone is selling. So there is a vicious cycle as people try to sell livestock to get money to buy food.
Please pray:
- Pray for God to intervene in the emergency work that is underway to help the worst affected population living in south and south-eastern parts of Ethiopia, Somalia and north-east Kenya.
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Pray that adequate resources are made available, that the lives of children and the worst affected people are saved; and pray also for the safety of the relief workers directly engaged in the work.