ESAT News (August 15, 2017)
Ethiopia has so far lost about two million livestock due to severe drought especially in pastoralist areas aggravating the food crisis, according to a recent report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
“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,” warned FAO.
“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.
The UN food agency says the food and nutrition crisis in Ethiopia was aggravated by the loss of livestock especially in the southern and southeastern parts of the country.
Some 8.5 million people – one in 12 people – are now suffering from hunger; of these, 3.3 million people live in Somali Region, according to the agency.