F

armers in the regency of East Manggarai in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) have been struggling to make ends meet, as the prolonged dry season has led to the death of at least 600 livestock in Watunggene subdistrict, Kota Komba district.

Farmer Markus Bana said the absence of rain over the past several months had caused many livestock in his village to die of starvation.

'€œMany horses, buffaloes, cows and goats died, as there was nothing to eat or drink. Some livestock even had to eat sand and soil,'€ he said recently.

Antonius Ola, another farmer, said many residents were forced to sell their remaining livestock in the neighboring Ngada regency at a low price to survive.

Although many regions of Indonesia saw the rainy season set in last month, Antonius said his village had seen no rain as of earlier this month. '€œWe can do nothing to deal with the disaster. It is the government that must help us,'€ he said.