Emergency aid in the event of a disaster
The vegetation has withered, the earth is bare. Gusts stir up the red dust, tearing at the round dwellings that people have tied together from branches, rags and plastic sheeting. Many men are still out in the vastness of the savannah, looking for grass and water for the last surviving animals.
The Borena herders have been hit hard by the worst drought in forty years in the Horn of Africa: most of the families' goats, cows and camels have starved and died of thirst. People have survived so far because they share what little they have left, as the tradition of nomadic peoples would have it.
Climate change is increasing dry seasons in East Africa. Nomadic pastoralist families are particularly affected. Their cattle are starving and dying of thirst. That's why people also suffer. The health and development of young children in particular are at risk.
Our cooperation with local partners is well-established and coordination takes place quickly, which is why we were the first Swiss aid organization to be able to bring emergency aid to the disaster area at short notice until the Ethiopian government, with the help of large international donors, took over supplying the population from 2023.
This is just one example of our emergency aid in times of crisis and disaster. In recent years, we have carried out further initiatives to assist internally displaced persons during the Tigray War and flood victims. In September 2025, we provided support to those affected by a major landslide in our project area of Raphe.
After days of heavy rain, the hillsides began to slide. Mud and debris buried fields, paths and houses. Nine people died. 476 families lost their homes. Around 2,200 people are seeking refuge in schools and temporary accommodation. At the beginning of the month, lorries transported 33 tonnes of maize flour and woollen blankets to five affected communities via muddy dirt tracks.
