Ethiopia relies on two yearly rainy seasons for its food production. The first season, the short-lived belg, occurs from February to March. The second, lengthier rainy season, called meher or keremt, occurs from July through September. This year, the early belg rains never came. The drought has hit the lowlands in southern Ethiopia the hardest.
Nomadic herdsmen rely on cattle for their food and income.
But the drought has stripped the plains of its grass, and the cattle have been starving to death. The Ethio-Eritrean conflict is draining Ethiopia of resources that could be used to fight the effects of the drought. When It Rains, It Pours This year, the rains finally did come in May. But instead of helping, the rain washed out dirt roads and airstrips and is making it difficult for relief agencies to deliver food. Mosquitoes breeding in pools of water are causing malaria outbreaks.