Drought-stricken people in Dire Dawa fleeing homes

Addis Ababa, December 8(ENA)--  Drought-hit people in rural areas of the Dire Dawa Administration Council are migrating to adjacent regional states and towns, the Council's Disaster Prevention and Preparedness office said.

Office Head, Tesfamariam Taye told ENA on Saturday that a number of family heads have abandoned their places and went to Dire Dawa town, Somali and Oromiya regional States due to the severity of the current food shortage.

The amount of yield reaped in crop producing areas during the current crop season has declined by 81 per cent, he said, adding the number of recipients has exceeded 95,000.

''There is a gap between the number of needy and the amount of relief obtained, '' he said, adding, '' we have received only 53,500 quintals of relief grain for the monthly ration of the over 95,000 needy,''

Tesfamariam said the shortage of the relief food has forced the office to reduce the 12.5-kg grain per head of the monthly food ration to 8.6 kg.

He said five children have so far died of severe malnutrition, and warned of massive catastrophe of children and animals if the current chronic food shortage goes unabated.

Tesfamariam said a relief coordinating committee led by the chairman of the administrative council has been established in a bid to raise funds and relief for the drought-affected compatriots with in the administration.

Representative of the Jeldessa Primary School in the council, Fanosie Sisay said the number of students in the school has declined drastically following the current drought.

She expressed her fear that the school may close down soon unless the migration of the local people is stopped.

The recipients in Jeldessa Peasant Association said they were facing acute food and water shortage, which they said, are forcing them to abandon their homes.

'' Our cattle are dying of shortage of food and water. We spend the whole day to fetch water from the only point in the area that has not yet gone dry, '' says a woman whose husband has fled the area leaving two children at her shoulder.

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