Ethiopia: Nearly 50,000 People At Risk, Over 9,000 Livestock Perish As Drought Worsens in Tselemti District, Tigray

Mekelle- Nearly 50,000 people in Tselemti district, northwestern Tigray, are facing hunger and displacement as a severe drought devastates the area, while more than 9,000 livestock have already died, local officials said.

Some "9,367 households, accounting for 49,799 people, face danger. Some have already begun leaving the area in search of food. So far, 807 cattle, 8,351 sheep and goats, 108 donkeys, and two camels have died from hunger. Farmers are being displaced in an effort to save their remaining livestock," said Nega Adugna, administrator of Laelay Tselemti district, speaking to regional media.

The administrator added that six localities in the district are affected. "These areas border Kola Tembien, which had previously been hit by drought. Three districts in particular: Meeda, Midre-Hamso, and Degerbay, are in a critical condition," he noted.

Nega called on the federal government and international NGOs to urgently provide assistance to prevent further loss of life and displacement.

Gebrehiwet Gebregzabher, head of the Tigray Regional Disaster Risk Management Bureau, confirmed the impact of the drought to Addis Standard but did not provide figures. "We are conducting a region-wide study on the drought. It has not been finalized yet," he said.

A little over a week ago, Addis Standard reported that at least 22 people had died and more than 27,000 livestock had perished in Kola Tembien, Central Tigray, as prolonged drought tightens its grip on the war-affected region. The death toll highlights the growing scale of a humanitarian emergency unfolding with little external intervention.

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