OCHA Pastoralist Voices report for July/August 2008 carries pastoralist views on the impact of protracted drought, and rising food and fuel prices in East Africa. Extracts below:
Drought
“In my 80 years living as a pastoralist it has never been like this. The rainfall pattern has been unpredictable and there is a migration of pastoralists from this community to the urban centres of Nairobi, Uganda and others. The few animals we have that have survived the drought are plagued by new diseases that we do not know about. Our livestock is dying and we do not know why. We are even afraid to eat some of the livestock as we fear the diseases might be transferred to humans.”
Elder Bote Bora, 80-year-old Borana pastoralist from Kula Mawe
Food prices
“A kilo of rice is 60 shillings [just under US$1] in Isiolo. But for the community of Kula Mawe it is 80 shillings [due to transport] and it takes three hours to drive through rocks to get to the pastoralist community.”
Hassan, Pwhe chair, Isiolo
Fuel prices
“Fuel is now too expensive for the community to afford and yet it is needed for the water pump to pump water for the livestock and the community. The fuel is needed for the generator which runs the water pumps at the two boreholes in the community. We don’t have sufficient water right now because fuel is too expensive.”
Isaac Boru, Borana pastoralist from Kula Mawe
Coping strategies
“We feel like the forgotten ones. Most of us now survive by collecting firewood and walking about 30km to sell it. This is how we now earn some money since we have lost our livestock to drought.”
Veronica Erupe, pastoralist from Daaba community
Relief
“People are becoming very sick here. And when people are sick there are no vehicles. The hospital is around 70km from here and donkeys are the mode of transportation. People die on donkeys on their way to the hospital.”
John Longole, pastoralist from Daaba.
Conflict
“The conditions are creating conflicts. There are no pastures, so people are heading in the same direction: where there are water points and where there is pasture. The Borana and Samburus have been fighting around water points.”
Mayamar Mwami, District Officer 1, Isiola
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