Rainfall finally returned to East Africa in early April, signaling an end to the crippling year-long drought. But rather than being an end to indigenous peoples’ problems, numerous international agencies have warned that the rains will actually compound the crisis in the region in the short term. An April 7 Oxfam press release stated that displaced pastoralists now living in urban areas may suffer from outbreaks of malaria, diarrhea, and cholera at overcrowded aid centers. The delivery of food aid also will be obstructed, as flooding has blocked delivery routes. Pastoralists living in temporary camps also fear that the rains will kill off their already depleted livestock herds, as the emaciated animals may die from hypothermia. Those living in low-lying areas face the additional threat of losing their homes to flash flooding. According to an IRIN news report, flooding in the Isiolo district in central Kenya in early April has already led more than 3,000 people living along the banks of the Uaso Nyiro River to evacuate in search of higher ground. These concerns have driven home the need to learn from this drought. "Pastoralists want to ensure that they’ll be able to cope effectively when the next drought comes," says Lisa Matthews, a program officer at Cultural Survival. "They want to be self-reliant, not reliant on donor aid." The United Nations has called for the international community to increase aid to East Africa, noting that the full recovery process from the region’s devastating year-long drought could take up to 15 years.
Related articles:
Cultural Survival Quarterly: East African Drought Takes a Toll on Maasai Cattle
Weekly Indigenous News: Food Relief Urgently Needed in Kenya’s Pastoralist Communities
Weekly Indigenous News: Worsening drought leads to desperate measures for Maasai herders
