RAPID CROSS-BORDER DROUGHT ASSESSMENT

Ethiopia – Kenya – Somalia

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – Intergovernmental Authority on Development

February 2017

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................................... 2

The assessment and its objectives ......................................................................................................................... 2

Assessment coverage ............................................................................................................................................. 3

Assessment methodology ...................................................................................................................................... 4

FINDINGS .................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Summary ................................................................................................................................................................. 5

Drought situation overview .................................................................................................................................... 5

Turkana ............................................................................................................................................................... 6

Borena-Marsabit-South Omo ............................................................................................................................. 6

Mandera-Gedo-Somali ....................................................................................................................................... 6

Impact of the drought ............................................................................................................................................ 7

Water sources ..................................................................................................................................................... 7

Livelihoods .......................................................................................................................................................... 8

Food security and nutrition .............................................................................................................................. 12

CURRENT NATIONAL RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS .................................................................................................... 13

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................................................. 13

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INTRODUCTION

The Horn of Africa is facing widespread drought as a result of the poor performance, or in some areas complete

failure, of the October–December 2016 short/deyr/hagaya rains, which followed an already long dry season and

erratic, below-average main season long/gu/genna rains in March–May 2016.

Drought conditions are hitting hardest in southern and southeastern Ethiopia, northern and coastal Kenya and

almost all of Somalia. With relatively similar eco- and livelihood systems affected across the three countries,

including along national borders, the developing crisis is regional in nature. In drought situations, livelihoods are

typically at the front lines: if harvests or productive animals are lost, crop- and livestock-dependent families face

extreme difficulties in meeting their basic food and income needs, and tend to make just minimal investments in

their livelihoods – prioritizing instead short-term needs for survival. Food consumption patterns decline and

nutrition status worsens, and in worst case scenarios, livelihoods are lost and extreme destitution becomes a real

risk. Urban migration increases, as does reliance on humanitarian aid and social protection programmes.

Livelihoods, therefore, require immediate response in drought crises.

The impact on farmers has been critical: the post-deyr assessment in Somalia indicated crop production was

75 percent below the five-year average in 2016; in Kenya, the short rains assessment revealed that yields were

30–50 percent below average; and in Ethiopia, while crop harvests generally improved compared with last year,

localized areas again saw below-average production. Pastoralists and agropastoralists in all three countries have

been significantly affected; with poor to very poor availability of pasture and water, livestock body conditions have

deteriorated, as have their value at market. With declining incomes and extremely limited food production, terms

of trade are increasingly disfavouring farmers, agropastoralists and pastoralists – below-average harvests have

contributed to the rising cost of cereals and low livestock production has resulted in minimal meat, milk and other

animal product availability.

Communities are experiencing a rise in poor food consumption and further decline of local livelihoods as families

struggle with the knock-on effects of multiple consecutive droughts. In Somalia, risk of famine has been declared

by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit

and the Famine Early Warning Systems Network. In Ethiopia, districts that did not need emergency response six

months ago are now top-priority according to the latest hotspot classification analysis. An assessment of the short

rains in Kenya saw food insecurity increase significantly, while continued monitoring of the situation is revealing

malnutrition rates are rising.

In the Horn of Africa, cross-border areas require specific attention during drought crises. The Intergovernmental

Authority on Development (IGAD) Drought Disaster and Sustainability Initiative (IDDRSI) was based on the

understanding that drought does not respect international boundaries; yet, country-level responses are limited to

areas within national borders. Rural areas at the periphery of these borders are often less prioritized, though the

needs there are not only high, but more dynamic – especially in consideration of migration for trade, pasture,

water, etc. – which are not always captured in national plans. The region is recording significant migration within

and across borders as households and their livestock search for grazing and water – transboundary dynamics are

becoming increasingly important in this crisis.

The assessment and its objectives FAO and IGAD have a longstanding agreement to work together to support food security in the region, including

the conducting of joint assessments to gauge prevailing dynamics. In light of the transboundary, regional nature

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of the drought, FAO and IGAD sought to understand its impact on livelihoods, food security and nutrition in cross-

border areas between Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia in order to inform appropriate and coordinated responses in

those affected areas. This recognized the necessity of protecting assets and stepping up immediate humanitarian

assistance while protecting the livelihoods of at-risk communities, especially in cross-border areas.

Seven teams comprising technical staff from FAO, IGAD, local authorities and Non-governmental

Organization (NGO) partners were deployed to cross-border hotspot areas in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia from

12 to 18 January 2017.

Assessment coverage The assessment teams traveled to 32 locations in Oromia, Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples (SNNP) and

Somali Regions in Ethiopia; Mandera, Marsabit and Turkana counties in Kenya; and Gedo Region in Somalia.

Initially, it was planned to visit southern Somali Region, bordering with Mandera County – however, as the

situation there is comparable to surrounding areas, it was decided to instead visit northern Somali Region as field

reports indicated the situation was worsening in border areas with Somaliland. See Figure 1 for a map of surveyed

areas, and Table 1 for a list of assessment locations.

Figure 1: Map of cross-border hotspots visited under the FAO-IGAD rapid drought assessment

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Table 1: FAO-IGAD rapid drought assessment locations

Country Region Subounty/Zone Communities/Districts

Ethiopia

Oromia Region Borena Zone Yabello, Miyo, Moyale, Dire, Dubuluk woredas

SNNPR South Omo Zone Dasenech, Hamer and Bena-Tsemay woredas

Somali Region Jarar Zone Daror, Gashomo woredas

Fafan Zone Harshin woreda

Kenya

Mandera County

Mandera East Subcounty Daror, Gashomo woredas

Mandera North Subcounty Harshin woreda

Mandera South Subcounty Border Point One, Khalalio

Lafey Girissa

Marsabit County North Horr El Golicha

Moyale Borana, Sakuye, Gabra, Garri

Turkana County

Loima Subcounty Lorengippi, Urum, Lokiriama

Turkana North Subcounty Kaeris, Lapur, Kaleng

Turkana Central Subcounty Kerio, Kalokol, Kanamkemer, Kang’atosa

Turkana West Subcounty Lokipoto, Nakitongo, Nawuontos, Oropoi

Turkana East Subcounty Kangkipur, Kaeris, Nakaalei, Kapedo

Somalia Gedo Region Belet Xaawa Duduma Dheer

Dollow Abdi-Lohow, Qurday, Warenley

Assessment methodology In line with the Regional Programming Paper, the IGAD Centre for Pastoral Areas and Livestock

Development (ICPALD), the IGAD Climate Prediction and Application Centre (ICPAC) and FAO met with relevant

government officials and institutions in the concerned cross-border areas as a first step. The participation of local

authorities in coordination with national disaster management authorities from the three countries provided key

insight into the prevailing drought situation in each visited area. Meetings were also held with selected

stakeholders – for example relevant NGOs and other key informants. Based on Livestock Emergency Guidelines

and standards, the checklists guided assessment interviews with local authorities, NGOs and other stakeholders.

Assessment teams recorded the information gathered into the standardized checklists.

To validate and confirm the information relayed by the stakeholders interviewed, the assessment teams

conducted visits to selected communities. A standard community questionnaire was used to log the teams’

findings.

Following the site visits, the teams each drafted a brief situation report on the current impact of the drought on

livelihoods in the surveyed cross-border areas based on the information gathered with the developed tools. Once

the teams returned, the information was compiled, confirmed and analyzed by FAO and IGAD.

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FINDINGS

The following sections present the findings of the FAO-IGAD assessment, including impacts of the drought on

livestock-based livelihoods and food security, and recommendations for response.

Summary

Current drought perceived to be

severe to very severe

380 000 (agro)pastoral households

at high livelihood risk in

cross-border hotspots

6.5 million heads of livestock at

high risk in cross-border hotspots

Water and pasture

increasingly scarce

Livestock body conditions

worsening, disease outbreaks,

mortalities rising

Mass cross-border movements in

search of feed and water: 85% of

livestock are migrating

Insecurity is increasing as tensions

rise over access to natural

resources

Prices and demand for livestock

have plummeted while food costs

have significantly increased

Food security and nutrition status

are deteriorating

Drought situation overview In 2016, rainfall was poor during the long April–June rains in several cross-border areas between Ethiopia, Kenya

and Somalia. In most areas, the short October–December rains failed completely. All communities interviewed

under the assessment classified the ongoing drought as being severe to very severe.

GENERAL

PERFORMANCE OF

THE 2016 RAINFALL

SEASONS IN

CROSS-BORDER

HOTSPOT AREAS

Complete failure of the short rains

Turkana | Marsabit

Poor performance of long rains and failed short rains

Fafan | Jarar | Gedo | South Omo | Borena | Mandera

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Using census data and information from local authorities on the ground, FAO and IGAD determined that about

380 000 pastoral and agropastoral households in rural, cross-border areas are vulnerable and at high risk of losing

their livelihoods and face acute levels of food insecurity. These households own an estimated 6.5 million livestock

– about 12 percent are cattle and 88 percent small ruminants – at high risk of morbidity and mortality.

Turkana In Turkana, the near-complete failure of the October–December rains intensified the drought effects that began in

September 2016. The prolonged dry spell negatively affected livelihoods (mainly pastoralism and agropastoralism),

food security and nutrition; the severity of drought impacts is expected to worsen and reach the emergency levels

during the lean season in February/March 2017. Although the long rains are expected in April, the situation is not

expected to improve until June 2017.

All surveyed communities rated the current drought as varying levels of “severe”. Most perceived the drought to be

not yet as extreme as other bad years, though the situation is gradually deteriorating. The most affected areas include

the following subcounties: Loima; Turkana North, Turkana Central, Turkana West and Turkana East.

Borena-Marsabit-South Omo In Marsabit county and Borena and South Omo Zones, drought conditions began in September 2016, and worsened

with insufficient rainfall during the October–December season. Communities equated the ongoing drought with that

of 2010/11, while highlighting that this incidence is more widespread. Dry conditions are likely to intensify until the

next rains at the end of March or early April 2017, with areas likely to slide into emergency until then. Pastoralists

and agropastoralists are among the most affected.

In Borena Zone, the most affected areas are located in the border areas with Kenya, including Moyale, Miyo, Dire,

Teltele woredas. Most affected areas in Kenya are North Horr (Gabra communities in Saru, El Issako Mala, Ollom,

Balesa, Kilikili, Blue Warabesa, Durkana, Duke, Garwole and Lhibo) and Moyale (Barana, Sakuye, Gabra, and Garri

communities), while Laisamis and Saku are reported to be moderately affected. In South Omo Zone, the drought is

most affecting Dasenech, Hamer, Ngangatome and Bena-Tsemay woredas.

Mandera-Gedo-Somali The assessment revealed that all communities interviewed classified the drought as being severe to very severe.

Pastoralists in Somali Region of Ethiopia are describing the current drought as the worst ever experienced – and this is

only the beginning of the lean season. The recent failure of the rains followed poor performance of the main season

rains, which has resulted in severe drought. The situation will continue to rapidly deteriorate until the anticipated arrival

of the rains in March/April 2017. The worst affected woreda surveyed is Gashamo, having experienced three

consecutive years of rainfall, followed by Daror and Harshin, all bordering with Somaliland.

Severe to very severe Very severe

PERCEIVED DROUGHT SEVERITY(January 2017)

Turkana, Mandera,

Gedo

Borena, South Omo,

Marsabit, Somali Region

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In Mandera, Kenya the recent drought started in April 2016, severely affecting both pastoral and agropastoral

communities. The current situation is amongst the worst and almost comparable to that of the 2011 drought. The

most affected subcounties include Mandera East, Mandera North, Mandera South and Lafey.

The four communities visited in Gedo Region – Abdi-Lohow, Duduma Dheer, Qurday and Warenley – have had two

consecutive seasons of poor rainfall, including the failed October–December rains and poor main April–June rains.

According to the respondents, the current drought is among the worst experienced in the last 15 years. The most

affected in Belet Xaawa and Dollow Districts are those located furthest from the Dawa and Juba Rivers owing to

improved fodder access in riverine areas.

Impact of the drought

WATER SOURCES Throughout drought-affected areas in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, most communities are facing water scarcity.

In Turkana, households trek up to 35 km to access water, traveling both within and across borders. About 80 percent

of communities depend on hand-dug wells, while other main water sources include boreholes and piped public taps,

which are quickly running dry owing to drastically declining water levels.

In Borena Zone, water sources are scarce and located in pocket areas owing to insufficient rains in the last year. In

Moyale woreda, 65 percent of water sources have dried completely. It was also reported that shallow wells dried in

six communities of Dire woreda, and in Miyo woreda, just 34 percent of the total 36 ponds have water. In some

villages, local government authorities have started rationing water for human use.

In Marsabit, pastoral communities are traveling as far as 30–60 km for water, while agropastoral households are traveling

about 15–25 km. As the dry season continues and water sources decline, these distances are expected to increase.

Drastically reduced water availability in South Omo Zone is also driving communities to travel long distances to access

water. The only water sources available are open shallow wells, rapidly drying rivers/streams and water trucking.

In Mandera, the majority of water sources, such as streams, rivers and shallow wells, are drying at increasing rates.

Communities are largely dependent on water vendors.

In Somalia, households in Dollow are migrating to Middle Juba and Lower Juba to access water; however, these points

of refuge will soon run out – the Dawa River was expected to nearly completely dry up by the end of January 2017, two

months earlier than normal. This will seriously compromise cereal and fodder production by riverine households. In the

assessed areas, the Juba River is less extreme with slightly below normal levels.

Drawing water from a traditional well in South Omo 2017

A dry riverbed in South Omo, January 2017

Rapidly drying Dawa River, January 2017

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LIVELIHOODS With drying water sources and depleted pastures having significant

impact on livestock health and production, pastoralists and

agropastoralists have seen their main source of food and income

deteriorate. Livestock-based livelihoods in the three countries have

been severely impacted.

Livestock-holding households are employing severe coping strategies,

including migration in search of water and grazing areas, commercial

destocking, the slaughtering of small ruminants, distress sales of

productive assets and reducing the number of milkings. In the absence

of pasture, some households have resorted to foraging for the roots

of wild plants as feed for their livestock.

Extreme coping strategies have been observed especially in Marsabit and Mandera in Kenya and Dollow and Belet

Xaawa in Somalia, where households have stopped milking their cows, and some households are slaughtering

young calves. In Mandera, some pastoralists and agropastoralists have dropped out of the production system and

moved to settle near food distribution centres.

With the next rains expected only by the end of March or early April 2017, livestock body conditions will continue

to deteriorate unless rapid humanitarian livelihood support is received to ensure the survival of pastoral and

agropastoral households’ animals. A further deterioration of the situation is likely to have significant consequences

for livestock-based livelihoods, food security and nutrition.

Livestock conditions

Across all border hotspots, morbidity and mortality rates have been high and almost all remaining livestock are

starving and in poor body condition.

All types of livestock are affected, with variations by area. For example, in Marsabit and Somali Region, small

ruminants are bearing the brunt of the drought, while in Borena and South Omo, cattle have been hardest hit,

with many in critical status and requiring assistance to stand. Camels and donkeys, which are usually more resilient

to drought conditions, have also become weak.

Nearly all animals are in need of emergency feed, though there is very limited to no access to animal feed

(commercial or aid) – and even if feed is available, the prices are high. In Somali Region of Ethiopia, some

households have reported hand-feeding their weak livestock using relief grain. The vast majority of all types of

remaining livestock are in poor body condition and in need of veterinary care as well.

Chopping wild roots for animal feed in South Omo, January 2017 Chopping wild roots for animal feed in South Omo, January 2017

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Livestock diseases

Outbreaks of livestock diseases have escalated, affecting all types of animals on all sides of the border.

With critically low availability of grazing and water, livestock immune systems are breaking down, making them

more susceptible to disease. With poor body conditions, livestock are contracting both endemic and opportunistic

diseases. In addition, migration is not only further weakening livestock, but bringing animals into more frequent

contact with other herds, increasing the incidence of disease.

Livestock mortality

Livestock are starving, sick and dying at alarming rates. Carcasses of dead

animals are strewn around homesteads and on roadsides at various stages

of decomposition.

Excess mortality rates were observed throughout the assessment locations.

Sheep are among the most affected (between 5 and 25 percent depending

on the location), followed by cattle and goats. The situation is most acute in

Somali Region, Borena, South Omo and Marsabit. Where migration to areas

with grazing was possible (e.g. from Turkana to Karamoja Region in Uganda),

mortality rates are lower. Given the high concentrations of livestock in these

cross-border areas, the absolute number of livestock that have died is

significant. Until pastures and water points regenerate, further losses are

expected during the ongoing lean season.

Trade and marketing

Terms of trade have declined significantly against livestock owners since the onset of the current drought – and in

some areas, even before the failure of the October–December rains. Prices for livestock have dropped significantly

due to poor and declining body conditions. With effectively zero to little demand for these animals, livestock

markets have collapsed in several areas. For example, major markets like Marsabit, Moyale and Merille remain

partially operational, while feeder markets in Dukana, North Horr, Kalacha and Balesa have ceased operating. In

several locations, households are traveling to markets outside the county or across national borders. In some

areas, travel to markets has been below-normal owing to weak livestock and low prices.

REPORTED DISEASES Turkana: contagious caprine pleuropneumonia, contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, peste des petits ruminants, sheep pox, trypanosomosis, helminthosis, tick-borne diseases (e.g. anaplasmosis, heartwater), mange and haemorrhagic septicaemia.

Borena, Marsabit, South Omo: contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, anthrax, foot-and-mouth disease, peste des petits ruminants, trypanosomosis, black leg, camel pox, lumpy skin disease, worm infestations, internal and external parasites and lice.

Mandera, Gedo, Somali: trypanosomosis, haemorrhagic septicaemia, helminthosis, pneumonia, black leg, contagious caprine pleuropneumonia, camel, sheep and goat pox, peste des petits ruminants, camel anthrax and ovine pasteurellosis.

Sheep carcasses in Somali Region, January 2017

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Offtake has therefore been drastically reduced, leaving pastoral and agropastoral households with extremely

limited means of income generation and high costs of maintaining their remaining animals.

Prices for live animals continue to decrease. The drop in the prices for small ruminants is most striking in Kenya,

where the price for sheep have dropped by 90 percent and goats by 88 percent. In Borena, livestock prices have

been dropping since July 2016 – throughout the surveyed areas of Ethiopia, prices have dropped by 60 to

70 percent for all types of livestock (small ruminants, cattle and camels). In Somalia, price declines are most severe

in Dollow, where livestock is selling for half the usual price.

Livestock products – e.g. milk, butter – are extremely limited at local markets, or not available at all. If milk and

butter are available, the prices are very high, and meat quality is reportedly extremely low. With households’

animals either not producing or producing limited amounts of milk at home (largely the case across drought-

affected areas), these communities have extremely little access to protein-rich foods, having severe implications

for the health especially of children.

While prices for livestock have declined, the cost of staple foods has increased (see Table 2). Crop production was

well below average throughout the region due to poor rainfall. Local and regional cereal availability is low, while

demand is increasing.

SIGNIFICANT DROPS IN LIVESTOCK PRICES (USD)

Aggregated livestock price changes by type

-67%

-65%

-53%

-47%

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Sheep Goats Cattle Camels

Ethiopia

Normal price Current price

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Sheep Goats Cattle Camels

Kenya

Normal price Current price

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Sheep Goats Cattle Camels

Somalia

Normal price Current price

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Table 2: Normal reported cereal prices vs. current reported cereal prices in cross-border areas (January 2017)

Traditionally, pastoralists increase their cereal intake when milk is not available – with cereal prices having more

than doubled compared to normal times, pastoral households’ purchasing power is severely constrained. Food

access – especially access to nutritious foods – is therefore very limited in cross-border hotspots.

Cross-border activities

Mass livestock movements in search of grazing and water have been reported both within and across borders in all

the region. It is estimated that around 85 percent of livestock are migrating, while about 15 percent are resident.

Turkana In search of water and pasture, huge numbers of livestock have migrated across and within borders, while travel

to access markets and for petty trade or alternative livelihoods has remained normal.

Tensions and conflict are increasing in border areas due to overgrazing, theft and disease outbreaks. Areas most

affected include Nadapal at the border between Kenya and South Sudan, where Kenyans are being pushed back

to areas where pastures are depleted – high livestock mortality rates are expected here. Along the Kenya–Uganda

border, in Orupoi, there is no access to grazing owing to tsetse fly infestation. In Kalapata of southern Turkana,

bordering Pokot territory, insecurity hampers access to grazing land.

Borena-Marsabit-South Omo Mass movements from Borena, Marsabit and South Omo have been observed as pastoralists search for pasture –

especially from Marsabit over the border to Ethiopia. Livestock migrations began abnormally early. This year, mobility

Resident15% Migrating

85%

RESIDENT VS MIGRATING HERDS

Cereal type Country Price increase (percentage)

Maize

Ethiopia +72%

Kenya +63%

Somalia +81%

Sorghum

Ethiopia +190%

Kenya +67%

Somalia +175%

Rice

Ethiopia 0%

Kenya +20%

Somalia +29%

Cattle16%

Goats48%

Sheep23%

Camels13%

COMPOSITION OF RESIDENT HERDS

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is also random and opportunistic – herders are moving to pocket areas speculated to have grazing availability. In

some areas, herders are migrating to protected conservation areas, having negative consequences for environmental

gains and increasing risk of disease transmission between wild animals and livestock.

Pastoralists are also traveling to cross-border markets to sell their animals. And particularly in North Horr, people

are traveling in search of alternative sources of livelihoods, such business and petty trade.

Cross-border activities have led to increased tensions. Competition over natural resources has resulted in

increased conflict and disease outbreaks as animals crowd around limited water and feed. High concentrations of

livestock in Marsabit have led to water- and forage-related conflict; a peace committee was activated to conduct

peace dialogue meetings among the different ethnic groups along and within the border.

Mandera-Gedo-Somali Pastoralists are migrating en masse in Somali Region, uprooting half the community in some areas. Vulnerable and

food insecure households are left behind with remaining livestock that are unable to travel, estimated at

40 percent of the initial population. Pastoralists report they are traveling greater distances than usual, both within

Ethiopia (to areas of Somali and Oromia Regions) and across borders to Somalia and Kenya. Pastoralists from

Somaliland are also crossing into Somali Region of Ethiopia.

Cross-border movements have resulted in increased incidence of livestock disease outbreaks, as well as increased

tension among pastoralists (especially in Banisa). Pastoralists from Mandera are moving within the county more

than across borders, though some transboundary movement has been reported. Rising tensions and suspicion has

been reported between clans in Mandera North and Banisa, which may lead to resource-based conflicts.

In Somalia, migration in search of pasture is low, and movements to cross-border markets are lower than usual. With

animals too weak to travel, and widespread pasture scarcity both within the region and across borders, the costs of

migrating are too deemed to be high to risk the trek. Tensions have not risen among pastoralists over grazing access,

though unusual high concentrations of animals on riverbanks is spurring conflict between herders and settled farmers.

Theft of livestock has been reported. In terms of cross-border trade, increased transaction has been observed between

Ethiopia and Somalia, particularly for animal feed and maize and sorghum for human consumption.

FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION Throughout all assessment locations, food insecurity was found to be not only

prevalent, but increasing. Households reported reducing the number of meals,

the quantity they eat and dietary diversity. All communities reported that the

deterioration of livestock production has had the most severe impact on their

food security due to the loss of their main source of income and food – especially

milk, but also meat, which is now of poor quality. Food stocks are very low, and

with very little demand and extremely low prices for livestock, households lack

the income needed to buy food at market – the prices for which are skyrocketing.

Malnutrition has increased especially among children, and opportunistic

infectious diseases are reported to have risen especially among women, children

and the elderly. In Borena, children and the elderly are visibly affected by

alarming levels of hunger and malnutrition. In North Horr subcounty, malnutrition levels are reportedly high. More

and more children are admitted to health facilities for nutrition treatment, particularly in Dukana, Balesa, North

Horr town, El Issako and Kalacha.

A woman bottle-feeds a goat kid in Marsabit

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Extreme coping strategies are also being observed, including high levels of distress sales of productive assets –

mainly animals – and the migration of entire households (abnormal) both within and across borders. While some

communities reported they are reliant on humanitarian assistance, aid is consistently reported to be inadequate

and not reaching all the people in need. This is especially the case in areas along the periphery of national borders.

CURRENT NATIONAL RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS

Ethiopia The 2017 Humanitarian Requirements Document appealed for USD 948 million to respond to new needs. As part

of this appeal, the Government of Ethiopia has called for USD 35 million to address the needs of 1.4 million

livestock-dependent households in drought-affected areas of southern and southeastern Ethiopia. Main priorities

include: (i) emergency livestock feeding for core breeding stock; (ii) animal health support; and (iii) slaughter

destocking to enhance nutrition status, enhance pastoralists’ income and for safe carcass disposal. There are clear

gaps in response, requiring immediate scaling up of funding support to affected areas.

Kenya The Government of Kenya has a dedicated response plan to respond to humanitarian needs in drought-affected

areas; as part of its three-phase plan, the Government is committing Ksh 16.4 billion for Phases I and II. Of this,

Ksh 3.15 billion is dedicated to livestock response. However, despite this considerable commitment, the Ministry

of Livestock estimates there is still a gap of Ksh 1.3 billion owing to rising needs in the livestock sector. The top

priorities are: (i) livestock feed; (ii) livestock off-take; and (iii) animal health. In addition, the Government has paid

out insurance to 11 000 households, totaling Ksh 209 million.

Somalia This year, the Humanitarian Response Plan for Somalia is appealing for USD 864 million to address the

humanitarian needs of 5 million people. Of the plan, an estimated USD 10.7 million is requested for pastoral and

agropastoral households. This includes the provision of livestock inputs as well as animal health interventions.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The assessment results confirmed that without urgent humanitarian support, pastoral and agropastoral

livelihoods are at extreme risk in the affected cross-border areas of Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. With extremely

limited purchasing power and deteriorating productive assets, the food security and nutrition status of livestock-

dependent households will continue to worsen through the lean season.

Climatic forecasting indicates that the next rains – the most important seasonal rains for these areas – are likely

to be normal to below-normal, which would represent a third season of poor rainfall performance for most of the

surveyed areas. If rainfall is insufficient, pastures and water points will remain in short supply and drought impacts

will further intensify. Response is therefore urgently required to avert a severe deterioration of the situation.

To minimize losses and safeguard pastoral and agropastoral livelihoods in cross-border areas, immediate,

coordinated response is required at national and regional level. Livelihoods response must consider two dimensions

of the prevailing situation: resident herds and migrating livestock. In both cases, core breeding stock should be

prioritized to benefit most from emergency interventions. Given that lactating animals are most likely to be left at

home, humanitarian response must first focus on resident herds to sustain milk supplies at household level, and

second on large moving herds.

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All actions above will require the scaling up of existing programmes and activating crisis modifiers, reaching currently

under-served areas and introducing new interventions to respond to the drought emergency. Every effort should be

made to complement and enhance existing Government, UN and NGO response actions.

Based on the rapid assessment results, FAO and IGAD recommend that urgent action be taken to address

immediate livelihoods needs (livestock feed, animal health, water access) and enhance access to cash. However,

livelihoods response should not stand alone: in addition to scaling up livestock support, humanitarian action

should include enhancing the reach of food assistance, malnutrition treatment, water sanitation and hygiene

interventions, as well as improving sustainable peace building actions.

Immediate livelihood needs

Livestock feed

With the next rains not expected until late March or early April, livestock-holding households urgently need access

to survival and supplementary feeding until pastures are able to regenerate by May/June. To improve health status,

provided feed should include roughage, feed concentrates (e.g. pellets, multinutrient blocks, range cubes) as well as

energy-rich roughage supplements, such as molasses.

To boost local availability of fodder, seeds of fast-growing grasses and other forage sources (e.g. sorghum and

cowpeas) should be provided along with technical support to households in riverine areas or with access to

irrigation. Benefiting households would have access to feed as little as six weeks after planting.

Animal health

To ensure survival, veterinary care should be prioritized for all livestock, especially as migration continues to bring

resident and moving herds into contact. This should include prophylactic treatments against endemic diseases and

parasites, engaging community-based animal health services wherever possible.

Water access

Access to water will remain critical throughout the region. Water trucking should be scaled up for communities in

need, and opportunities should be explored to provide collapsible water tanks – or fill existing tanks – in areas where

water is scarce. The deepening of traditional wells will improve recharge to increase the amount of water available,

thereby covering more livestock, which will be important especially in areas with high concentrations of animals.

Other means to enhance water access for livestock will be ensuring that the troughs available utilize water efficiently,

and are therefore able to water more livestock.

Enhanced access to cash

Destocking

Destocking should be prioritized to providing much-needed income to vulnerable households to enable them to

meet immediate needs (such as purchasing food) while relieving pressure on limited feed and water resources.

Destocking would also reduce the number of livestock needing emergency feeding, especially those whose

chances of survival are slim. Slaughter destocking would also provide protein-rich meat to food insecure

community members, improving nutrition levels.

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Cash-for-work

Cash transfers in exchange for work – e.g. improving water infrastructure and disposing of carcasses – would enable

households to meet their immediate needs (food purchase) and prevent them from selling their productive assets at

very low prices and avoid deepening vulnerability. The work would contribute to humanitarian response; by

deepening traditional wells or rehabilitating boreholes, communities’ access to water would increase in a sustainable

way, and by hygienically disposing of livestock carcasses, human health would be protected.

Strengthened monitoring, peace-building and coordination

Scaled up monitoring of the situation would improve the availability of up-to-date information, as well as enable

partners to respond when and where support is needed most given the changing dynamics on the ground. This

should include the tracking of livestock movements as well as monitoring body conditions to improve national-

and county-level planning and decision-making, with a focus on the importance of cross-border dynamics.

Strengthening and scaling out peace initiatives – such as IGAD’s Conflict Early Warning and Early Response

Mechanism – would contribute to preventing cross-border conflict and improving communities’ capacities to

manage and mitigate conflict situations among pastoralists, including negotiating to allow livestock migration to

grazing areas to prevent escalation of tensions over natural resources. Empowering peace committees at

community level would contribute to sustainable security measures. These platforms could also provide a

monitoring and surveillance role, taking note of livestock body conditions, migrations, disease incidents and

communal relations.

Given the transboundary nature of the crisis, regional-level coordination needs to be strengthened to improve

coverage, identify complementarities and synergies, ensure harmonization and avoid duplication. All agencies

should work closely with national governments and local authorities to maximize efficiency and effectiveness of

humanitarian responses in the most-affected areas.

Contact Jose Lopez, FAO Resilience Coordinator, FAO Subregional Resilience Team for Eastern Africa, Jose.Lopez@fao.org

Dr Solomon Munyua, Director, IGAD Centre for Pastoral Areas and Livestock Development, Muchina.Munyua@igad.int