Easing border controls may help pastoralists, UN says

The UN’s Emergencies Unit for Ethiopia has said relaxing border controls in the east may help struggling pastoralists in their fight against the drought. The unit said that the “crackdown” on contraband in the border area of drought-stricken Shinile Zone, in Ethiopia's Somali region, might have created additional problems. “Some could say that the fight against contraband comes at an inopportune time,” the EUE said in a field report from the region. “Until the overall situation improves, the effects of such measures could be reconsidered.” It added that poor rains and little pasture had devastated the area and warned that urgent help was needed. Many pastoralists use the borders for trading and will often cross with their livestock into either Djibouti or Somalia. It often provides a lifeline in times of hardship. The EUE said that a known contraband area like Hartishek in eastern Ethiopia had been hard hit and that families had arrived at displaced camps seeking help. A recent government initiative was launched to stop contraband being smuggled into the country which, the EUE argues, undermines legitimate businesses in the capital Addis Ababa. “The once vibrant smuggling town of Hartishek is virtually dead now in terms of economic activities,” the EUE said. “No contraband is being sold and traded there anymore. The people in Hartishek area have lost their livelihoods. “As a result of the border closure, important food commodities such as rice, sugar etc, are in short supply and prices are rising," it said. “Basically, all commodities used to come from across the border before.” It made a number of recommendations to help the thousands in Shinile Zone who have been hit by the drought. It urged the regional government to try to address the increase in conflicts between competing tribesmen. Migrating herdsmen and their animals should also be provided with blankets, water and fodder along the main migration routes and roads. “Vaccination campaigns must be stepped up in order to avoid massive outbreaks of opportunistic diseases that prey on weakened animals,” the EUE added.