A farmer showing a drought affected field in Lesotho. Photo used with permission from Send a Cow.

Send a Cow, a UK-based international development charity, organized a live Twitter chat, #askLesotho, on February 24, 2016, to discuss Lesotho‘s worst drought in recent history and the relative lack of media attention.

Lesotho, a landlocked kingdom completely surrounded by South Africa, declared a state of emergency last month. According local UN officials, as many as one in three Basotho may require food aid until next year.

World Food Programme's country director Mary Njoroge says the drought has forced people to adopt negative coping mechanisms, which include selling assets and even theft. The country experienced a downpour recently, leading to what experts call ‘green drought’. The rain deceptively greened Lesotho's valley where fields have no crops or vegetables.

The drought is caused by the El Niño weather pattern, which has left more than 100 million people in southern Africa, Asia and Latin America without food.

Over the hour-long Twitter chat, Send a Cow Lesotho’s country director Manthethe Monethi answered questions from various individuals and organisations.

There were some challenges as Manthethe experienced an electricity shortage and was forced to change location shortly before the chat took place and a slow Internet connection in Lesotho meant responses were delayed.

The importance of vegetable growth was a key issue in the conversation. Unlike maize, which usually takes five months from planting to harvest, vegetables grow very quickly.

Lumela ‘M'e Manthethe! If we help you to provide vegetable seeds for families now, when will they be ready to eat? #asklesotho

— Dolen Cymru (@DolenCymru) February 24, 2016

@DolenCymru #askLesotho Lumela ‘M'e! Vegetables are ready to eat within 5 weeks of planting

— Manthethe Monethi (@SendaCowLesotho) February 24, 2016

The same user, Dolen Cymru. a non-profit linking Wales and Lesotho, asked about makeshift dams:

@SendaCowLesotho @DolenCymru #askLesotho Since more rains are predicted soon are the #SaCL beneficiaries already preparing “makeshift” dams?

— Lerato Ato Mokone (@AtoMokone) February 24, 2016

@AtoMokone @DolenCymru #askLesotho SACL supports farmers with skills to make ponds,dams,diversion furrows & roof water harvesting techniques

— Manthethe Monethi (@SendaCowLesotho) February 25, 2016

Jim Ackerman challenged Send a Cow by asking:

Is an organisation that uses livestock to support communities the best placed to help when there are food and water shortages? #askLesotho

— Jim Ackermann (@jamnam1982) February 24, 2016

@jamnam1982 #askLesotho Livestock production is equally affected because it depends on rangelands and water

— Manthethe Monethi (@SendaCowLesotho) February 24, 2016

Joey Brownbill wanted to know if Send a Cow operates like the World Food Programme:

Are you providing food aid like @WFP? #asklesotho

— Joey Brownbill (@joeybrownbill) February 24, 2016

@joeybrownbill @WFP #askLesotho We do not provide food aid, we provide training and agricultural inputs

— Manthethe Monethi (@SendaCowLesotho) February 24, 2016

He then wanted to know if that solution is practical:

@SendaCowLesotho @WFP but how will that help people now? #askLesotho

— Joey Brownbill (@joeybrownbill) February 24, 2016

@joeybrownbill @WFP #askLesotho Vegetable production cycle is short- 5 weeks, and availability is sustained through preservation techniques

— Manthethe Monethi (@SendaCowLesotho) February 24, 2016

Help Age South Africa sent the following question:

#askLesotho Q from HelpAge SA: Is the current humanitarian response age and gender inclusive?

— Send a Cow (@SendaCow) February 24, 2016

@SendaCow #askLesotho The response is age and gender inclusive, targeting the most vulnerable, ie,elderly,OVCs,people with disabilities, etc

— Manthethe Monethi (@SendaCowLesotho) February 24, 2016

Another user questioned the severity of the crisis, asking whether it was a ‘‘once-in-a-lifetime’’ or ‘‘once in a few years’’ crisis:

@MrsMoulogo @SendaCow #askLesotho I'd be interested to know how bad is the emergency in context-once in a lifetime, or once every few years?

— Waterloo Foundation (@Waterloo_TWF) February 24, 2016

@Waterloo_TWF @MrsMoulogo @SendaCow #askLesotho Lesotho is currently experiencing one of its worst draught in 30 years

— Manthethe Monethi (@SendaCowLesotho) February 24, 2016

@Waterloo_TWF @SendaCowLesotho 1) The problem is getting worse, so we must tackle it with long-term solution, not just food aid. Families

— Send a Cow (@SendaCow) February 24, 2016

A Twitter user based in Wales, Cathy Moulogo, wanted to know the benefits of recent downpour:

Hi @SendaCow are the current rains making any improvement to the drought situation? #asklesotho

— Cathy Moulogo (@MrsMoulogo) February 24, 2016

@MrsMoulogo @SendaCow #askLesotho The current rains are going to make some improvement, esp on vegetable production & livestock

— Manthethe Monethi (@SendaCowLesotho) February 24, 2016

She then wanted to know what can be done to alleviate hunger:

@SendaCowLesotho @SendaCow that's great news! Will there still be widespread hunger? What can we do about it? #asklesotho

— Cathy Moulogo (@MrsMoulogo) February 24, 2016

@MrsMoulogo @SendaCow #askLesotho We need to intensify vegetable production for consumption and income,and fodder production for livestock

— Manthethe Monethi (@SendaCowLesotho) February 24, 2016