OLLAA’s staff spoke with Garbicha Waaqo, a farmer whose livelihood has been destroyed by the drought in southern Ethiopia.
Garbicha Waqo Roto was born in Borana Zone of Oromia. He is over 78 years old and is a husband and father to five children. Garbicha has spent his life in Higo Rera Kobegna Kebele, Dubluq district of Borena zone, and belongs to the Konitu Mula clan of Borana Oromos, which still follows the traditional Gada system of governance. Most Boranas, including Garbicha, are pastoralists and depend on livestock as a means of livelihood.
Due to the ongoing drought across East Africa, millions of cattle, camels, and goats have perished – devastating the flocks of livestock that pastoralists depend on for their livelihoods. This environmental disaster has affected millions and has led to increasingly severe levels of food insecurity.
Garbicha has been heavily affected by the drought. Before the drought, Garbicha reports that he had over 90 cattle, 115 goats, and several camels. Now, Garbicha has lost all of his livestock and has been left entirely destitute. The drought has led to his displacement, forcing him to leave his home and flee to Ganda Higoo kebele.
While he recognizes that humanitarian assistance has been provided by numerous international actors, Garbicha believes it has been insufficient to save the farmers from what is proving to be a lasting blight. Garbicha claims that the Ethiopian government has detained activists who were campaigning and advocating to save the Boranas and that the Ethiopian government is attempting to conceal the truly dire state of hundreds of thousands of Oromos from the general public and international community.
International Human Rights Law
The right to an adequate standard of living is recognized under multiple international human rights instruments, including Art. 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Art. 11 of the International Covenant on the Economic Social and Cultural Rights. This right is also protected under articles 43 and 89 of the FDRE constitution.
As delineated in the ICESCR, the right to an adequate standard of living encompasses the right to “adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions.” It imposes an obligation on States, as the primary duty bearer under international law, to take steps toward the progressive realization of this right at all times, including during humanitarian emergencies, and to ensure that they do not take measures that would result in individuals being prevented from access to adequate food, water, and other necessities. In addition, the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention), which Ethiopia has ratified, contains a duty for States to adopt measures aimed at preventing displacement, such as providing assistance and protection for displaced persons, and to find durable solutions for the IDPs in the country.