Over 7,800 students out of school in Borena Zone amid devastating drought 

Addis Ababa, February 24, 2023 (FBC) – More than 7,800 students are out of schools in Borena Zone in the wake of the devastating drought in the area, local education office said.

Head of the Borena Zone Education Office, Tesfaye Woldemariam, said students in 490 schools in the area have suffered greatest loss of learning and their results dropped significantly.

To address the school dropouts, the Oromia Regional state has been implementing a school feeding program with a budget of 45 million birr, the education office indicated.

The drought has wreaked havoc that caused destruction of 21 schools, the head said, adding that efforts are underway to reconstruct the institutions. 

More than 3.3 million livestock have died due to the catastrophic drought that has affected the zone. Borena Zone Administration called on relief agencies and partners to address the humanitarian need in the area.