Drought, Disaster and Hope

Fighting for Survival in Ethiopia

By: Maureen Simpson

Oyita Kala is no stranger to the unpredictability of a pastoral lifestyle, having spent decades moving herds across vast rangelands in southern Ethiopia in search of food and water.

Oyita Kala

Oyita Kala

Still, the last few years have taken a toll on him and other pastoralists in ways that have been increasingly difficult to manage due to multiple overlapping crises – from desert locust infestations and COVID-19 to natural disasters and ongoing conflicts. 

“As a pastoralist, our assets are our livestock,” said the father of eight, “and I am the one who has no livestock. I lost all of my animals, a total of 40, over the last five years. … I don’t have the resources to feed my children.”  

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the Horn of Africa has endured the longest and most severe drought in recorded history. Since late 2020, five consecutive failed rainy seasons have left at least 17.2 million people in urgent need of lifesaving and life-sustaining assistance in Ethiopia. Additionally, over 6.8 million livestock have died and many more are at risk, further jeopardizing the food security, economic stability and well-being of those who are dependent on rain-fed agriculture and pastoralism in the country.  

Oyita Kala is no stranger to the unpredictability of a pastoral lifestyle, having spent decades moving herds across vast rangelands in southern Ethiopia in search of food and water.

Oyita Kala

Oyita Kala

Still, the last few years have taken a toll on him and other pastoralists in ways that have been increasingly difficult to manage due to multiple overlapping crises – from desert locust infestations and COVID-19 to natural disasters and ongoing conflicts. 

“As a pastoralist, our assets are our livestock,” said the father of eight, “and I am the one who has no livestock. I lost all of my animals, a total of 40, over the last five years. … I don’t have the resources to feed my children.”  

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the Horn of Africa has endured the longest and most severe drought in recorded history. Since late 2020, five consecutive failed rainy seasons have left at least 17.2 million people in urgent need of lifesaving and life-sustaining assistance in Ethiopia. Additionally, over 6.8 million livestock have died and many more are at risk, further jeopardizing the food security, economic stability and well-being of those who are dependent on rain-fed agriculture and pastoralism in the country.  

“When I was young, 10 or 15 years ago, this area was very good,” said Boru Kala, a pastoralist from the Hamer woreda of South Omo.

"There was enough rain, and we had vast sorghum and maize. Also, the pasture for the livestock was very good."

“Now, the time is very difficult for us because there is not enough rain. … I lost 20 of my cattle over the past year.”  

Safeguarding Progress and Delivering Swift Aid to Ethiopians in Crisis

In January 2020, with funding from the United States Agency for International Development, Global Communities embarked on a five-year initiative to help address many of the root causes of vulnerability for pastoral communities in Ethiopia and improve their ability to mitigate, adapt to and recover from conflict- and disaster-related shocks and stressors.

As part of the Resilience in Pastoral Areas South (RIPA South) project, Global Communities included a Crisis Modifier component that sets aside funds specifically for emergency response measures when certain thresholds and indicators are triggered.

At the outset of [RIPA South], we developed a strategy that when crises happen, we adapt the project itself and all the partners we work with to respond quickly using systems and structures developed during regular program implementation. It engages our local teams who are already working in these communities and know the context well in driving the emergency response and protecting any development gains that have been made.” 
— Ameha Tadesse, Chief of Party for RIPA South and Country Director of Global Communities Ethiopia

In March 2022, due to the unrelenting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and amid one of the driest rainy seasons on record, RIPA South activated its first Crisis Modifier to address the short-term urgent needs of the most vulnerable people living in the project’s five targeted zones: Borena, Guji, Liben, Dawa and South Omo.

Interventions were categorized into three windows: livestock support, multi-purpose cash assistance and access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)

Livestock Support

Aim: Save the lives of core breed livestock and improve livestock health, productivity and body condition

Interventions: Provide multi-nutrient livestock feed and fodder as well as voucher-based veterinary services

Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance

Aim: Improve household basic and/or recovery needs

Intervention: Issue direct, unconditional cash transfers through banks

Access to Critical WASH Services

Aim: Improve access to water for humans and livestock

Intervention: Rehabilitate nonfunctional water points in water-stressed pastoral communities

But how exactly do you determine who is the most vulnerable when millions of people are facing chronic food and water insecurity in the midst of an unprecedented drought?

RIPA South turned to one of the three foundational pillars of pastoralism – community (e.g., social institutions, family) – for guidance. Between April and June 2022, Global Communities worked in close collaboration with RIPA South consortium partners (Goal and iDE), relevant local government offices and community members to identify, select and verify a total of 18,004 drought-affected households from 16 woredas and 80 kebeles to receive support under the project’s first Crisis Modifier.

According to Tadesse, because of resource limitations, that number represents just 1% of the households that need assistance in the areas where RIPA South is operating.

“Even though it might look insignificant in terms of addressing the caseload, it is impactful in terms of changing the individual household situations,” he said. “… We are creating some hope.”

Silbo Algo, DRM Committee Chair

Silbo Algo, DRM Committee Chair

Disaster Risk Management (DRM) committees that were established or revived at the kebele level with technical assistance and training from RIPA South were key to the selection process.

Rescuing and Restoring the Lifeblood of Pastoral Communities

On average, it takes at least five years for a pastoralist family to rebuild their herd following just one drought, much less back-to-back failed rainy seasons. Over the last year alone, Boru Kala, a pastoralist from Hamer woreda, has lost 20 of his cattle.

To help him and other pastoralists weather the devastating impact of this unprecedented disaster, RIPA South selected Boru and 4,465 other livestock-owning households to receive multi-nutrient livestock feed under the project’s first Crisis Modifier. The father of five said he was selected not only because of the cattle he lost but because the animals he has left are rapidly deteriorating. Like many other pastoralists, he has not been able to feed or seek medical care for his livestock to keep them healthy.

“I have observed that their body condition has reduced and the quantity of milk I have gotten from the cattle is not as much as before,” said Boru, as he gestured to an emaciated cow with clearly visible ribs. “This support means very much to me, because my livestock are suffering.”

In August 2022, Boru received 4.5 quintals (450 kilograms) of livestock feed specifically designed to quickly improve the body condition of drought-affected animals and boost their milk production. As part of the intervention, RIPA South trained Boru and other recipients on how to properly store and ration the feed for it to last up to three months for five cows per household.

Providing supplemental feed not only helps prevent livestock deaths and sustain livestock productivity but reduces the pressure on grazing lands and spurs regeneration that can help communities cope better in the future.