The lack of rain means there is nothing to graze on, and thousands of cattle have already starved to death. With the cattle goes the livelihood of millions of pastoral people, particularly those in Southern Ethiopia and the Tigray region in the north. Those who farm have lost their crops for several planting cycles. Oxfam America has documented this crisis on video and is now releasing the footage for general use. Oxfam America seeks funding to dig many more wells like this one.
People now walk many miles to get to a working well.
The situation is urgent. The critical secondary rains, due in February, have failed to materialize. As people have begun to die, thousands are on the move in search of food, water and survival. Michael Delaney, Oxfam America's Director of Humanitarian Assistance, recently visited the the Borena Zone of the Oromiya Region in the South. He met with people who had lost all of their assets and were walking miles to ponds that had been dug by Oxfam the previous year.