Pastoralist communities in Ethiopia, historically marginalized and viewed unfavorably by the government which considers their lifestyle "unsustainable" compared to agriculture, are facing unprecedented humanitarian crises exacerbated by policy neglect and environmental shocks. In the Awash Valley, the Karrayyu Oromo are devastated by a prolonged drought and intensifying seismic activity that has displaced villages and rendered pastureland unusable, while the Borana zone has suffered catastrophic livestock losses due to recurring droughts and a lack of adequate government response, often obstructed by bureaucratic hurdles and a prioritization of the government's "Prosperity Agenda" and the war in Tigray over humanitarian needs. This neglect, coupled with historical land dispossession for agricultural projects and a lack of market support, has eroded pastoralist livelihoods, cultural heritage, and resilience, with recent government efforts focusing on sedentarization through micro-dams and facilitating elite land capture for commercial interests, further threatening the survival of these indigenous communities who now face a weaponized drought and diminished international aid.
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