Marc Lacey of The New York Times reports on the drought and bad planning that are hurting East Africa's drylands.
 
‘Animals are dying in huge numbers, their rotting carcasses littering the landscape and devastating the local economy. Aid workers estimate that 70 percent of the 260,000 cows in Kenya's Wajir district, near the border with Somalia, have died. Goats and sheep also are dying. Even camels, known for their ability to endure the most rugged of conditions, are dropping in the sand.’

People and livestock continue to die of thirst in the drought ravaged northern part of Kenya, despite having water delivered to them twice a week. This is because the water is barely enough to cater for all the individual members of the communities living here. At 20 litres of water a week, this averages to about three glasses of water per person, per day, for drinking and all other household purposes.

Click here to read the full article.

Click here for more from ILRI on the drought in Africa.