“We made from water every living thing” Quran (21:30). I have read this verse from the Holy Qur’an hundreds of times, although it may have few words, it has always felt so powerful. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I will come to see the depth of its meaning and the verse in action – human, animals, plants all depending on the existence of water. Simply put, water is life.
The impact of a drought on food security for millions of people such things sadly are not new in the Horn of Africa. Every few years a severe drought hits the region and leads to a major famine. We become sensitised by watching events on our televisions, become emotional and donate.
Our mission as part of a Muslim Charities Forum delegation was to explore and assess the effects of the drought and the damage it is causing in order to mobilise our network. It was also an opportunity to learn about good practices from fellow international NGOs, UN agencies and most importantly local communities and organisations.
Two years of poor rain is showing its toll on local communities, and the passing Nomad communities. We were told that the most affected areas are in the west of the country, bordering Ethiopia. We drove for four and half hours in roads that they look like anything but roads, a continuous bumpy ride on a track that looks like a rally route where yellow or blue painted stones on the side of the road try to keep you away from danger – clear evidence of the absence of any infrastructure.
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