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Rainfall and the length of the growing seasons are highly variable in the semiarid East African rangelands such as Borana. Dry years occur about one year in five and droughts one year in twenty. Survival is possible in dry years by spending the entire household cash income on food. In drought years, livestock losses and rangeland degradation are mitigated by extensive migration of animals. There is greater dependence on smallstock and camels, and in some instances food crop production. Nonetheless, there is widespread suffering due particularly to loss of calves and milk supplies and deteriorating terms-of-trade for cattle exchanged for cereals. Complete recovery of livestock numbers and human living standards may take many years. The effects of drought may be mitigated by supplementary feeding of calves, or of cows, and production of cereal crops immediately the rains resume.