March 13, 2006
When it rains
Ethiopia's drought-stricken Oromia and Somali regions got a few days of rain recently. A reason to celebrate? You would have thought so. But, according to OCHA's latest Humanitarian Bulletin, the short unseasonal shower is actually being seen as a sign of more dry months to come and a failed April rainy season.
In another field report I read, the rain showers, and the corresponding fall in temperatures, actually led to the death of more livestock. And the pools of water left by the roadside and near villages have raised the prospect of a surge in malaria cases.
Sometimes you struggle to understand why Africa remains one of the most optimistic places on earth.
Posted by aheavens at March 13, 2006 4:32 PM