Voice of America
01 Jul 2022, 07:35 GMT+10
CHIFRA, ETHIOPIA - The battles between Ethiopian government-aligned troops and Tigrayan forces may have stopped, but herders in western Afar region are left fighting for survival.
The record drought in the Horn of Africa that has killed millions of livestock has been made worse by landmines left by combatants.
Herder Hassen Arebti Hassen's 4-year-old daughter was injured by a landmine, and the weapons are also killing his animals.
He said landmines are everywhere, and many animals have stepped on them and died.
Landmines and other explosives are so common in the area that some locals use the wood from their crates as building materials.
Nine-year-old Ali Omer said his 10-year-old friend was killed by a landmine while they were herding goats together.
'We were just there to take care of the goats, but my friend died,' he said.
Omer said his friend was playing, throwing stones at the landmine, but then he picked it up and threw it to the ground.
Omer was also injured.
His father, Oumer Hadeto, said landmines make them all afraid to collect water, despite the drought.
Hadeto said the community doesn't know what to do, and he has to spend a lot of money to buy food for his family and animals. The landmines need to be removed, he added.
After speaking with locals, VOA was unable to establish which side in the conflict was responsible for laying the mines.
Bekele Gonfa, executive director of a nonprofit in Addis Ababa that supports landmine victims, said people in mined areas of Ethiopia, like Chifra, need help.
'Number one is the medical treatment. And then, they're provided with psychosocial support, which includes counseling. Particularly, that's what the organization is basically engaged in. The public and the community [have] to be given risk education in order to really keep themselves away from the mines,' Gonfa said.
But with the ongoing drought, people in Chifra have little choice but to risk landmines if they want to find food for their animals and collect water for their survival.
Get a daily dose of Kenya Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Kenya Star.
More InformationShohei Ohtani showed no ill effects of a foot injury Tuesday night, ripping a home run while shutting out the ...
WASHINGTON - U.S. health officials on Tuesday authorized a plan to stretch the nation's limited supply of monkeypox vaccine by ...
Almaty, Kazakhstan - An Iranian satellite launched by Russia blasted off from Kazakhstan on Tuesday and reached orbit amid controversy ...
Ethiopia's Somali region is mobilizing against al-Shabab militants to prevent further incursions by the group.The region had been hailed as ...
The U.S. embassy in South Sudan on Tuesday called on authorities in the central African country to free a journalist ...
Ships using ?grain corridor? are headed for Turkey, Europe and China, Kiev's proclamations asideEven as the Kiev authorities declared help ...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Ireland, fearing fuel shortages, is weighing the rationing of fuel, to begin as early as September, according to ...
OTTAWA, Ontario: Military trainers from Canada will head to the United Kingdom to teach Ukrainians new techniques for fighting the ...
ISTANBUL, Turkey: Turkey's current accounts are expected to record a deficit of $3.4 billion in June and end the year ...
NAYPYITAW, Myanmar - According to a leaked internal document obtained by the press, companies awarded government contracts are being investigated ...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Ireland is set to receive one of three ships that have sailed from Ukraine filled with grain. The ...
LONDON, England: In 2023, America's Major League Baseball is set to return to London for the first time since 2019, ...