News Feature
Oxfam Ireland: East Africa Drought
Thursday, 29 October 2009For more: OxfamIreland.org
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A severe and persistent five-year drought, deepened by climate change, is now stretching across seven countries in East Africa, affecting over 23 million people and their livestock.
A severe and persistent five-year drought, deepened by climate change, is now stretching across seven countries in East Africa, affecting over 23 million people and their livestock.
The Karimojong people have traditionally been herders. The changing weather patterns mean that they have been forced to travel longer distances to find grazing spots and water for their cattle, sheep, goats and donkeys.
Climate change is exacerbating traditional rival ethnic conflicts as herdsmen travel longer distances from home in search of limited resources.
A drought in the drylands of northern Kenya is increasingly severe and set to get worse over the coming months. Failed rains and years of under-development and marginalisation have led to chronic water shortages among the pastoral communities.
People collecting water from a trough in Hadado, Wajir West. Northern Kenya
When the rains failed in northern Wajir, Mahat Ali brought his family south to the village of Konton on the Somali border, where he heard water was available. However, he still has not found any water for his family or animals.
Habiba is 53 years old and has 11 children. She has to walk 35kms every day to get to a water point.
Suleiman Wadere Ali, 63, has lost most of his animals due to the lack of water. 'In my lifetime, we have experienced many droughts. But this is the worst drought we have ever experienced'
A water truck at Qurmale, in Wara location in Wajir West district, is used to provide domestic water to the local community. This is a joint effort by DPA and Oxfam GB
