ETHIOPIA- On Friday, 11th of August, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations warns that supporting herders to get back on their feet and preventing further livestock losses and suffering are crucial in drought-hit Ethiopia where hunger has been on the rise this year.
Reports from Ethiopia made it known that drought has devastated herders’ livelihoods as it exhausted pastures and water sources, leading to a significant number of animals dying or falling ill, particularly in the southern and southeastern regions of the country as other areas recover from previous seasons’ El Niño-induced drought.
Following the Drought, pastoralists have been face with reduced milk production, rising malnutrition, and have limited income-earning capacity and severely constrained access to food. According to FAO, some 8.5 million people – one in 12 people – are now suffering from hunger; of these, 3.3 million people live in Somali Region.
FAO further disclosed that the current food and nutrition crisis is significantly aggravated by the severe blow to pastoral livelihoods. Thus, for livestock-dependent families, the animals can literally mean the difference between life and death, especially for children, pregnant and nursing women for whom milk is a crucial source of nutrition.
With up to 2 million animals lost so far, FAO is focusing on providing emergency livestock support to the most vulnerable pastoralist communities through animal vaccination and treatment, supplementary feed and water, rehabilitating water points, and supporting fodder and feed production.
“It is crucial to provide this support between now and October – when rains are due – to begin the recovery process and prevent further losses of animals. If we don’t act now, hunger and malnutrition will only get worse among pastoral communities,” said Abdoul Karim Bah, FAO Deputy Representative in Ethiopia.
By providing supplementary feed and water for livestock, while at the same time supporting fodder production, FAO seeks to protect core breeding animals and enable drought-hit families to rebuild their livelihoods. Animal health campaigns will be reinforced to protect animals, particularly before the rains set in, when they are at their weakest and more susceptible to parasites or infectious diseases. FAO-supported destocking and cash-for-work programmes will also provide a crucial source of cash for families.
It is in this light that FAO makes a call for humanitarian support. As contained in a press release from the organisation, addressing this issue urgently requires US$ 20 million between August and December to come to the aid of Ethiopia’s farmers and herders.
