Part of Waghimra Ethnic Administration Zone has been hit by severe drought!!!
Mekelle፡ 26 October 2023(Tigray Herald)
Part of Waghimra Ethnic Administration Zone has been hit by severe drought!!!
“I add salt to the water and drink it with my family so that our soul can be found tomorrow”
Says a farmer standing in the middle of the field holding his head in his hands and cursing the field when his crops failed.
In Wag Khmra ethnic administration, Sehala Seyemt district consists of 13 kebeles. This district is hit hard by the drought of the 2015/2016 crop season. The district is known to be semi-pastoral. The Farmers are agriculturist who make a living by rearing animals with the few quintals of grain they get from the field, giving more value to the straw. The district is home to a large amount of livestock.
#Total animal wealth of the district is Dalga cattle #104,430, Gamma cattle #22,121, Sheep and Goats #465,428.
#Out of this drought-prone Dalga cattle #92,43, Gama cattle 16,121, Sheep and
Goat #396,760.
#20,328 Dalga cattle, 116,900 sheep and goats have migrated to the neighboring zone.
#1320 Dalga cattle, #71 Gama cattle, #2457 Sheep and Goats have died due to the drought.
More than 52,000 people live in the district and 46,000 are in danger of losing their lives if they don’t get immediate help, district administrator Sisay Biru said.
“Even though the district is frequently hit by drought, there used to be no loss of grass for the animals. But this year, only burnt land is visible.
Not even a blade of grass can be seen. As the residents of the district told us, we have never seen such a drought, not even the 1977 E.C drought was like this,” says Ato Sisay Biru.
We were in the district and saw that the field was empty. We saw that animals not only had their skin sticking to their flesh, but their souls were dying, children, mothers and the elderly were starving and their souls were clinging to their cheeks. We learned that if we don’t arrive quickly, a tragedy could happen in Sahala Sayemt district.
In a coordinated trip organized by the Zonal Disaster Prevention and Food Security office of the Wag Khmra Ethnic Administration, officials of the ethnic administration and representatives of some humanitarian organizations were able to visit the district.
They also moderated the Kebele community. They said, “There was a government under God to guarantee humanity, but today the government has turned its back on us.”
The attendees added, “If we don’t get food this week, we won’t find our children.” Apart from that, we drink water with a lot of salt, to sustain our life” they said. So far, it is said that two people have died due to hunger in the district. Regarding animals, they said, “If we got a little grain in our district, we would not worry much because we would sell our cattle and goats and buy grain. But this year we are disappointed because there is no grass for cattle, goats and sheep.
According to the information provided by the head of the disaster prevention and food security office Mr. Mehret Melaku, nothing has been offered by the government other than the promises of various humanitarian organizations. He said that apart from repeatedly reporting to the Regional Disaster Prevention and Food Security Office, we have expressed the seriousness of the problem, but no response has been given so far and the drought has not been officially declared.
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// Waghimra Communication News Coverage//