Beyond the thick forests and green pasture

ActionAid Ethiopia and its partner Rift Valley Children and Women Development Organization (RCWDO) are distributing relief food to 10,080 drought affected people   in Saba Boru woreda in Gugi Zone of the Oromiya Regional State.

The drought, due to rain failure during the area’s rainy session, mid April to the beginning of June is reported to have claimed lives of 79,365 cattle and withered crops of thousands of peasants. This forced over half of the woreda population of  107,120 (including 46,692 females) depend on relief food according to RCWDO’s reports.

Located 589 kms South east of AA Saba Boru is a new intervention area AAE initiated in partnership with RCWDO. AAE provided a total of birr 4,650,626.02 suppling 10,080 beneficiaries with relief food. The food supply included 15killos of maize, 1.5 kg of pulse and, 0.45kg of edible oil per individual per month. Also 4.5 kg of famex is provided to lactating mothers and kids per individual per month. The amount of food aid distributed is meant to cover the food need of the seriously affected community members for two months.

The deep green pasture and huge trees including many exotic species as well as very good looking cattle make it hard to imagine the drought situation two months ago and the hunger lingering among many families. Neither does the appearance of the community members who dressed well and seemed very well fed hinted any hunger. The rain fall during September and October revived the pastures, conditions of the cattle and dairy products, according to the residents.