Ref: - /_________/

Date: - /_____/____/___

Administrator of Borana zone

To: - Red-Cross Association

Subject: - Requesting aid for drought victims in Borana, Ethiopia

The Borana people live in the Oromo region of south Ethiopia. Their way of life depends on their
cattle. Cattle are not only the Borana's source of food and income, but are also important socially.
This zone has received little to no rain for the past three years. "We have two rainy seasons per
year, with most of them failing. Some areas haven't seen any rain at all. Others have had a week
of rain instead of the regular two months per rainy season. A sixth below-average rainy season is
forecasted for March to May 2023 by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network. "There have
always been droughts; we know how to adapt, but this one is not ending. We are now fearing for
our own lives after losing everything. When the drought was getting worse and worse last year,
we started to sell one goat per week to buy fodder for my cattle. Eventually, we sold all the goats
and all our cattle died." The drought is causing food insecurity, a severe disruption to pastoralists’
livelihoods, and displacement of people searching for food and water. Therefore, pastoralists in
the zone are in urgent need of food, water, healthcare, and livestock assistance. The ongoing
humanitarian assistance also needs to be urgently scaled up. There is, I am confident, a widespread
desire on the part of our citizens in every section of the country to contribute to a fund to aid in
meeting the extreme distress of millions of civilian people in Borana. I feel that our people are
deeply sympathetic with those in need in this situation and will wish by their voluntary
contributions to take some larger part in aiding in this humanitarian task in which the peoples of
many countries are participating.

Very sincerely yours,