Poor rains worsen east Africa famine
By Anisa Kadri A lack of rainfall has contributed to the ongoing food crisis in East Africa, Oxfam said on Thursday. It was hoped that rains expected in November would provide relief for those struck by famine in this region. However, areas including Ogaden in Ethiopia and Turkana in Kenya received below five per cent of normal rainfall in November. Meanwhile, Somalia is experiencing its most severe drought of the last 20 years. Consequently, starvation is becoming more common in the region. Statistics show that one in three people are now malnourished in Turkana, while a clinic in Tanzania has revealed that cases of malnourishment dealt with by the practice have increased by 400 per cent. Oxfam’s deputy humanitarian director Jeremy Loveless said: “In many areas this is the fourth, fifth or sixth season of poor rains in a row. More must be done to invest in helping these communities cope with the dry years – through long term rural development and investing in national agriculture. But in the short-term lives are at stake and emergency aid is needed now.” An Oxfam spokesperson told inthenews.co.uk the charity hopes to buy livestock from pastoralist communities at above market prices and use the meat to feed them. Somali herders estimate that 70 to 80 per cent of their livestock has died. In Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya, more than 1.5 million animals have perished, worth over £220 million to these economies. In Ngorongoro, Tanzania, people are selling their cattle for $4 per cow, $196 less than their usual price and only sufficient to buy a family enough maize to last five days. In Uganda, the prices of foodstuffs constituting a staple diet have doubled and food stocks are expected to run out in January. …
