The specter of famine is killing livestock... The widening of the drought in the Houthi era
English - Tuesday 14 June 2022 الساعة 05:55 pm
Sana'a, NewsYemen, private:
Unusually before Eid al-Adha each year, the prices of sheep and goats in the outskirts of Sana’a fell to their lowest level, in light of the continued drought, the delay in rain and the high prices of fodder significantly exceeding the purchasing power of livestock breeders in the countryside of Sana’a and the neighboring governorates.
In a livestock market in the city of Sana’a, Saleh Al-Nahmi, a sheep breeder, was forced on Monday, June 13, 2022, to sell 3 heads of sheep with a total value of 10,000 riyals only in Yemen in general.
The areas of grazing have decreased significantly in the districts of Sana’a governorate (the countryside of Sana’a) during the past few years, just as the agricultural areas have declined by means of water wells, dams, barriers and water gorges.
According to the sheep breeder, Saleh al-Nahmi, who comes from the Nehm district, northeast of Sanaa, neglecting dams and water barriers and not maintaining them has also made them lose their effectiveness in saving rainwater and using it for irrigation in times of need in these dry days, which al-Nahmi confirms - in his fifties of life - that He has never seen a drought in his life like these days.
To the west of the city of Sana’a, where Hamdan district is, Saad Al-Faqih, a 48-year-old farmer, tells of the death of hundreds of sheep, goats and chickens due to malnutrition, drought, lack of pasture, high fodder prices, and the spread of deadly diseases for livestock.
“We used to move sheep and goats during the dry days to other areas where there was rain. This year, the disaster is spreading in all areas,” Saad Al-Faqih points out by this, indicating the futility of moving to graze livestock in other areas, as the sheep herders used to do, due to the spread of drought in those areas.
Many state employees have joined the agricultural and pastoral sectors since the Houthi militia - the Iranian arm in Yemen - confiscated the salaries of state employees about 6 years ago, and the residents of many mountainous regions in Yemen depend on the professions of shepherding and agriculture for their livelihood.
Since its takeover of state institutions in September 2014, the Houthi militia has looted the allocations for water, irrigation, and livestock projects, robbed the assets of water institutions, looted operating and maintenance allocations and spare parts, and imposed exorbitant royalties on workers in the agricultural and livestock sectors.
Official statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture in Sanaa - which is controlled by the Houthi militia - indicate a decline in the agricultural areas planted with fodder from 150 thousand hectares in 2014, to 131 thousand hectares in 2018.
