Drought Journal Entry
Drought Grips Ethiopia (April 14, 2008)
Satellite view shows huge parched region of Ethiopia. NASA Earth Observatory.
Early last fall, Ethiopia enjoyed a record crop harvest. But the whims of weather can change things in a hurry. This year much of the nation is in the grips of drought.
Little or no rain has fallen in months. During the heart of the rainy season in October and November, rainfall totals were way below normal.
The color-enhanced image from NASA's Terra satellite tells the story. Areas where vegetation is unhealthy or sparse are shown in brown. A brown arc stretches across Ethiopia, roughly following the chain of lakes along the Great Rift Valley.
The drought puts more than one-million people at risk of going hungry. Recently, the United Nations asked for four million dollars for food aid to the country.
