The road is dusty and the vegetation is dry and looks burnt. These observations along the road are among the things that overwhelm me the most as I enter the Miyo district of the Borena region of Southern Ethiopia. This district is more than 600 kms away from the capital, Addis Ababa.
Melkamu, our guide from our partner organisation, Action for Development (AFD), explains that if it was not for the failed long and short term rainy seasons, the vegetation would have leaves on it instead of looking withered, like now, and the dusty and naked land would be covered by greener pasture.
Since we entered the district by car, more than 100 kms earlier, the view outside has not changed. It is as if the whole scenery keeps repeating itself. We are quiet for a long time, looking on the crossing roads through the car’s windows for something to distract us. Just then, a young man appears from within the dry trees with a few livestock.
As we get closer, we can see that the young pastoralist’s two cows are very tired looking, and one calf is barely able to walk. Despite the fact that it is early in the morning, the young man looks exhausted. I decide to stop for a while and talk to him, and he is willing to talk to me.
Searching for the rain
The young pastoralist’s name is Wario Dera. He is twenty four years old and married with kids from the village Bedebuna in the Miyo district. “I left my village yesterday evening around 8 pm because I heard that the Melbana area is a little bit wet. I have already lost six of my cattle in the last two months, and if I lose these ones, I will have nothing. My only hope for water and pasture is Melbana. I am hoping to reach it by tomorrow”, Wario explains as he keeps trying to stop his restless and desperate cattle, some of which have enough strength to move away.
I am aware that Melbana is one of the severely drought affected areas in the district. It is also one of the areas where DanChurchAid (DCA) funded an emergency water rationing programme. I feel bad for not being able to help Wario change his destination to somewhere else with better opportunities. According to our partner organisation and some communities interviewed, the crisis from the failure of rain has affected most parts of the Borena region equally, including the lowlands and the semi-highlands.
Regarding his wife and child’s chances of survival in his absence, Wario says, “Before I left, I bought them some food. I expect to be back home with them after fifteen days. If I do not find the conditions in Melbana to be what I expected, I may have to travel even further.”
After assuring Melkamu and myself that he has enough to eat for his journey by pointing to a plastic bag of about 2 kg of boiled maize, we say farewell to Wario, wishing him the best. Thinking of the long journey we had already made from Melbana by car, 100 kms, we are very much aware that Wario has, indeed, a long way to go.
Nowhere to go
As we travel further, it is the same story all over: There is a great need for water, and all things depend on this precious resource. In the nearby rural town, Hidilola, we observe a very long line of people waiting to receive water rations. The line clearly signals that the demand is much higher than the supply.
We drive with a dry view almost all the way to the semi-highland of the Miyo district. This is more than 700 km away from Addis Ababa, close to the border of Kenya. According to the communities there, they were known as agro-pastoralists and well off compared to the neighbouring villages. However, the failed rainfall did not spare them this time. All over the village, we witness how the planted maize is completely wilted. This year they do not expect any harvest.
I speak to the 65-year-old elder in the village, Mr. Haleke Kelema, about the general situation, and he says, “I have lived in this village all of my life. Failure of rain is not new to this community. In the past, when the rain did not show up here, we used to move to the neighbourhoods. This time it is different. There is not a nearby place better than ours.”
The need is growing
DCA's Response in Borena
-
Trucked 3302m3 water to the targeted beneficiaries in areas affected by drought in the Miyo, Dugda-Dawa and Dillo districts with its implementing partner Action for Development (AFD)
-
Purchased and distributed household water storage facilities and water purification chemicals to decrease water contamination
-
Supplied emergency feeds for 915 cattle selected from 413 households in the Miyo, Dugada-Dawa and Dillo districts for a period of 45 days
-
Supports the local ACT Alliance forum to compile an appeal for more than 2 million USD aimed at helping those affected by drought
Mr. Haleke lost four cows five months ago. He is left with one. This cow was one of the 915 livestock fed for forty five days through the emergency livestock feeding centres funded by DCA. He explains, “The feeding centre saved my only cow and many other weak livestock in my village. We are very thankful. Now the feeding service ceased, and the rain did not show up as expected. As you can see, the planted maize is lifeless. We are totally dependent on the remaining livestock. It is the communities’ and my hope that the emergency feeding of our livestock will continue. To strengthen our hope, we have not removed the facilities where the livestock feeding used to take place, and we protect the facilities from damage.”
Comparing the current need with the past, Mr. Haleke says, “Before this crisis, there were individuals here considered to be the poorest by the government, and who, therefore, received help through a programme known as “Safety Net”. However, the crisis from the failed rain has brought all of us to the same level. Now we are all in desperate need of assistance.”