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Ethiopia - Rahima Fako
Rahima Fako and her family.
Interviewed by Mike Thomson of BBC Radio 4's Today Programme, 25 year old Rahima Fako is just one of the numerous victims of drought in Ethiopia. She and her 4 children have no idea where their next meal will come from, and she explains how the drought has caused them to lose everything.
"Due to rain shortage we lost everything that we planted. There is nothing in the fields to harvest and our animals are dead."
He then asks her what she feeds her children.
"Nothing! I have nothing to give them. I don't know what I am going to feed them."
It is clear the devastating toll it takes on mothers that are desperate to feed their starving children. By now, they've lost all hope. Rahima's 8 year old son, Fayo Hadji, tells Mr Thomson that he knows very well that he's going to die, and would rather die now than continue living.
"I know I am going to die and so are my brothers and sisters because we are all so hungry. Yes, I would prefer to die rather than keeping waiting for food. I prefer to die"
Read more about it here.
"Due to rain shortage we lost everything that we planted. There is nothing in the fields to harvest and our animals are dead."
He then asks her what she feeds her children.
"Nothing! I have nothing to give them. I don't know what I am going to feed them."
It is clear the devastating toll it takes on mothers that are desperate to feed their starving children. By now, they've lost all hope. Rahima's 8 year old son, Fayo Hadji, tells Mr Thomson that he knows very well that he's going to die, and would rather die now than continue living.
"I know I am going to die and so are my brothers and sisters because we are all so hungry. Yes, I would prefer to die rather than keeping waiting for food. I prefer to die"
Read more about it here.
Eritrea - Niahl Mohammed Idris
A crop withered by drought.
Interviewed by Alex Last of BBC. farmer Niahl Mohammed Idris, whose crops and cattle are what provide for his family, describes what a hard situation the country and himself are in.
"Before we had no problems, now we have no food, no agriculture, we have nothing...The rains came late and stopped early, that's why it's so dry. Some plants managed to flower, but these soon died. In some places farmers will not even get any seeds back"
Niahl makes it obvious how a single drought can make such an impact on a country that depends so much on its agriculture. Many people are farmers and sell their crops and animal goods to make a living. Without said products being able to sell, what happens? The farmer and his family are then left with nothing, and desperate, like the majority of Africans currently are.
Read the complete story here.
"Before we had no problems, now we have no food, no agriculture, we have nothing...The rains came late and stopped early, that's why it's so dry. Some plants managed to flower, but these soon died. In some places farmers will not even get any seeds back"
Niahl makes it obvious how a single drought can make such an impact on a country that depends so much on its agriculture. Many people are farmers and sell their crops and animal goods to make a living. Without said products being able to sell, what happens? The farmer and his family are then left with nothing, and desperate, like the majority of Africans currently are.
Read the complete story here.
Mozambique - Paulina Jose
Paulina Jose
Interviewed by Tim Judah, Paulina Jose makes her living off of growing sorghum, a type of grain, explains how much the drought has effected her region. This year, her harvests resulted to about 7% of what they usually are, and if Mozambique doesn't get aid soon, she won't have the opportunity to plant again.
"Normally I would get 800 or 900 kilos from here, but this year I only got 60 kilos. If we don't get help most of us are going to be dead by the next planting season."
The drought has made life for Africans unbearable, with both the dead crops and animals, and wondering how to continue to make a living. With hunger and hopelessness in their stomachs, none have the will power to move on. Over half a million people in Mozambique are in the need of food now.
Read the full story here.
"Normally I would get 800 or 900 kilos from here, but this year I only got 60 kilos. If we don't get help most of us are going to be dead by the next planting season."
The drought has made life for Africans unbearable, with both the dead crops and animals, and wondering how to continue to make a living. With hunger and hopelessness in their stomachs, none have the will power to move on. Over half a million people in Mozambique are in the need of food now.
Read the full story here.