Failed rains, prolong drought pushes Somali communities to the brink

Women and children sit outside makeshift huts in a camp for the internally displaced in Hargeisa, capital of Somaliland. Many of the residents in the camp were newly displaced by drought. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The drought that has hit Ethiopia and northern Somalia (especially Somaliland and Puntland) is the result of four successive seasons of below-average rains, exacerbated by El Niño. Pastoral communities like Hawa's are the hardest hit, and they make up three-quarters of the Somaliland and Puntland's population. Failed crops, severe water and pasture shortages have pushed these communities - known for their extraordinary ability to withstand harsh environments - to the limit.

Mohamed Omar, 80, used to have plenty of goats. But when the UNICEF staff met him and his family in Habasweyne ("huge dust") in his village on the outskirt of Hargeisa, he had only two left. He led us to see the two remaining goats. Both were kneeling on the ground, showing no interest in the corn kernels purposely sprinkled around them. They were too weak to stand or eat.