Somalilandsun – In Areas inhabited by Somali speakers, the ongoing drought is threatening to livelihoods of pastoral communities, with critical feed and water shortages .
The livestock export industry which is an important component of the Somali agricultural sector and accounts for 80 percent of Somalia’s exports is severely affected by the prolonged drought
Compared to 2015 alone, when livestock traders in Somalia and Somaliland earned $384 million in exports, and the industry witnessed an annual growth of 6 percent, drought has reversed trends.
Unfortunately, the gains made in the livestock sector over in the past three years are at risk of being erased due to the devastating drought facing Somalis as a result of two consecutive seasons of poor rainfall. Lack of pasture and water has led to the loss of livestock, and those that survive the harsh conditions are weak, unproductive, more susceptible to disease, and worth less when sold or traded for other food items.
To alleviate this malady the USAID funded Growth, Enterprise, Employment and Livelihoods (GEEL) is implementing a broad commercial de-stocking project that targets purchase and export of drought affected livestock in somalia and and Somaliland.
So far the GEEL commercial de-stocking project working in cooperation with local Somali businesses has so far purchased and exported 3000 cattle worth $1.5m
