Under the shade of acacia trees, 100 elders from pastoral communities in Ethiopia asked United Nations Special Humanitarian Envoy Kjell Magne Bondevik to help find lasting solutions to cope with the prevailing regional drought and preserve their way of life. 

The traditional meeting, which was held at the Kereyu Gada village, some 190 km south of the capital, Addis Ababa, was part of the envoy's five-nation mission to the drought-plagued countries of the Horn of Africa. "My mission is to listen to your problems and to try to find lasting solutions," said Bondevik, who, like the elders, wore traditional white robes and sat on animal hides. "I promise that I will not forget you." 

The meeting brought together pastoralists from the Kereyu, Somali, Gabra and Borana communities - some of whom had walked for three days to attend the gathering - and representatives of UN agencies. "This recent drought has been very severe. It has been nearly a year now without any proper rain. We have lost a lot of livestock," said Abdi Adar Ahmed, a prominent Somali elder from the eastern Ogaden Region. 

According to UN figures, 12 million pastoralists in the Horn of Africa are suffering from drought. Bondevik and the UN delegation are visiting the region to hear firsthand accounts of the crisis and advocate for improved humanitarian assistance and long-term development.

"For us, pastoralism is work," said Gada Boku, chief administrator of the Kereyu clan, which hosted the meeting. "We live from our cattle, so we are very happy if people like you come to listen to us."
Like eight million other livestock keepers in Ethiopia, most pastoralists in Fentalle District have lost large numbers of cattle - the primary source of their income and sustenance - over the past months. Currently, 1.7 million people in Ethiopia are receiving food aid because of the drought.

"The response from the international community is not as it was in past years. They have to know that when our animals die, we die, as our lives are tied to them," said Kereyu Council Chief Gada Boku, whose white beard had been dyed with henna.

In the worst-hit areas, there has been little rain for the past five years. Nearly 60 percent of the cattle have died over the last two months, mainly from lack of water. Herders often have to walk up to 100km to find the precious resource. Livestock has lost 60 percent of its value, creating precarious circumstances for pastoral communities, which rely on sheep, goats and camels for food and income. Food prices have increased by as much as 50 percent, UN agencies said.

"I have lost around 10 cows and two camels. We had two boreholes - one has collapsed; the other one has dried up. And now my family has been put on food-aid rations," said Ibrahim Adano, a spiritual leader of the Gabra community in the southern Borana Region of Ethiopia.

During the two-hour meeting, the elders shared with the visiting delegation the challenges confronting their way of life, such as recurrent drought, lack of recognition, conflict and restrained trading opportunities. "Drought is not a sudden occurrence - it is a slow, upcoming phenomenon," said Somali elder Abdi Adar Ahmed. "We have to put in place a system so our animals can be sold before the drought, and the economy doesn't collapse. What we would like to have is recognition of pastoralism as viable work."
"Pastoralism needs to be recognised as a way of life that contributes to the economy. We need access to an organised market so we can be sustainable," said Nura Dida, a Borena elder. "We hope this meeting will become a milestone in pastoralist development."

The Horn of Africa, where more than 40 percent of the population is undernourished, is one of the most food-insecure regions in the world. The highly charged political environment caused by past and ongoing conflicts has made its people even more vulnerable, according to the UN.

Bondevik, who was made an elder of the Kereyu Gada clan during the special gathering, assured the pastoralists he would advocate on their behalf. "There is no doubt that there will be more droughts in the future, so we need to help pastoralists in the longer term," he said. "There are 12 million pastoralists [in the Horn]. We have to respect their way of life and improve their conditions, not try to change them, as this will cause much bigger problems. This is a tradition that has survived thousands of years."

The envoy reiterated the need for donors to continue their support to Ethiopia. "The situation is serious - there is no doubt that there is a crisis. [...] Ethiopia launched its own humanitarian appeal in January, requesting US$166 million. To date, $59.6 million [36 percent] has been received from the international community, which is a very positive response from the donor community, but more funds are still needed," he said.

The elders hoped Bondevik's visit would highlight the need for measures to preserve and improve the livelihoods of pastoral communities in Ethiopia. "The Iranian pastoralists have mobile schools, mobile hospitals, mobile phones and machines to pasteurise the milk and immediately export it. That's what we need. If Mr Bondevik could convey this message to the United Nations, it would be great," said Abdi Adar Ahmed.