Eritrea projects poor harvest because of delayed rainy season, UN reports

Eritrea has released a new warning about the potential impact a delay in the country's rainy season will have on key crops, a United Nations spokesperson reported today.

A drought alert put out by the Eritrean Relief and Refugee Commission noted that the lack of precipitation has prevented the planting of barley, some oil seeds and legumes, while adversely affecting grazing lands, spokesperson Diane Bailey said in Asmara.

"Although it has been raining in the last couple of days, there is growing concern that the rainy spell came too late and that agricultural production in many areas will be significantly affected," Ms. Bailey said at a press briefing. "The northern parts of Ethiopia bordering Eritrea - as well as Eritrea itself - have had poor rains throughout this year."

Eritrea expects to reap little crop harvest from this agricultural year, according to the Commission's alert, which predicts that the country's farming population will face the threat of a "serious famine disaster."