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Article: In Parched Nairobi, Politicians Blamed For Drought Crisis
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- August 23, 2009
- Author:
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Across East Africa, drought is again leaving millions of people
in dusty countryside hungry, thirsty and dangerously dependent on
food aid, the United Nations has warned. But as the weeks wear on,
its effects -- less drastic but perhaps more politically potent -
- are also creeping into urban capitals such as this one.
In crowded, iron-sheet settlements as well as in high-hedged
enclaves of the city's elite, water taps are running dry. With
widespread crop failures, the price of staple foods such as corn
flour is soaring. Low water levels in dams have led to power cuts,
forcing businesses to shut down or switch on expensive, gas-powered
generators. And once again, people here are ...