Early morning in a large traditional settlement of the Dassanech people in the Omo Delta of Southwest Ethiopia. The piles of dried cow dung are burned at night to keep away mosquitoes, which are a serious nuisance in an area surrounded by waterways and flooded or marshy land. Granaries are constructed well above ground level to safeguard food in the event of flooding.The Dassanech speak a language of Eastern Cushitic origin. They practice animal husbandry and fishing as well as agriculture.The Omo River rises in the Ethiopian Highlands and flows for over 600 miles before discharging its waters into the northern end of Lake Turkana. Once a year following rains in the highlands, the river rises and bursts its banks, flooding the low-lying plains. After the water has subsided, the Dassanech plant crops in the fertile soil. Without flooding, there would be no agriculture because the annual rainfall is too low.