East Africa crisis: Ethiopia

The two cows Taditi, 65, depended on for an income have died due to the lack of rain. (c) Glyn Riley/HelpAge International The drought which hit east Africa in 2011 was the worst in over half a century.

13 million people have been affected across Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda.

Poor rains mean people were not able to plant crops and feed themselves. Their livestock were unable to graze. Now they have no food and no means of earning a living.

What's happening in Ethiopia?

We estimate that in Ethiopia alone, 3.2 million people require humanitarian assistance. And in the Borana region of Ethiopia alone, nearly 250,000 livestock have already died due to lack of pasture or exhaustion.

93% of the Ethiopian population works in agriculture, so the drought has seriously affected people's livelihoods, forcing many to head to camps for displaced people to find food, or to the cities in a desperate search for work.

Ethiopians are also facing increased food and fuel prices. In Addis Ababa, one kilo of porridge cost five Ethiopian birr in 2008. It now costs more than double, at 11 birr (GBP0.40 or US$0.65).

How are older people affected?

In these situations, vulnerable groups such as older people and small children are often left behind as they are unable to flee quickly.

In some rural Ethiopian communities the older population now account for 30-50% - a shocking rise from the national average of 5%.

What are we doing to help?

HelpAge has worked in Ethiopia for 15 years. In response to the east Africa crisis, we are working with partner CAFOD and four other local NGOs, targeting 6,400 affected households in Borana.

We are providing direct cash transfers to 4,800 households and employment opportunities for older people or their relatives by digging wells and reinstating wells and boreholes that have fallen into disrepair.

We are helping 1,600 families by providing livestock feed for their animals.

We are also currently funding a project in Borana, providing emergency aid to an estimated 32,000 people.

Finally, we are distributing food, water and healthcare to older people and their families, as well as water, animal feed and veterinary care for livestock.