A Facebook post published on November 24, 2022 (archived here) amid a deadly drought crisis in the Horn of Africa claims to show an image of dead cattle in Ethiopia. The same post was also shared here.
Background
Parts of the Horn of Africa have reported a deadly drought, which according to a joint press statement from humanitarian organizations, affected more than 20 million people. The drought that has affected parts of Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia is the effect of a two-year-long ongoing drought, which could prolong into 2023 according to the press statement.
Verification
A Google image reverse search reveals that, despite the image being used numerous times in different years, including this 2016 post claiming that it shows Nigeria’s Fulani Herdsmen cattle that were supposedly struck by thunder, this image was first published in 2009. It featured on credible news outlets like The Guardian here and NBC News.
According to NBC News, the image shows drought-stricken cattle outside a Nairobi slaughterhouse, as farmers were trying to sell their weak livestock for meat before they perished. See screengrab below.
Verdict
The Facebook posts claiming to show dead cattle in Ethiopia are MISLEADING.
This fact-check was produced by Africa Uncensored with support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck, International Fact-Checking Network, and African Fact-Checking Alliance network.
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