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Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Somalia: Pastoralists struggle to survive under a severe drought (Video)

(ICRC) - The drought stole the animals. Mohamed Salat saw his herd of 360 goats and sheep drop to just 90.

Abdullahi, also a herder, once owned 270 animals, but that number has dwindled to 30. Both of them depend solely on their animals for income and food. Now, most of their animals have been lost to the drought. The remaining animals are weak and can't be sold or slaughtered, and the next rainy season is still a month away.

If the rains materialize.

Mohamed and Abdullahi both say they haven't experienced a drought as bad as this, a harsh reality of loss and survival now shared by many Somalis. According to humanitarian estimates, 6.2 million people across Somalia, more than half the country's population, are facing acute food insecurity.