 The dire conditions of the 2002 drought led local pastoralists, which included members of the Afar, Karayu and the Ittu Oromo, to armed conflicts over grazing and water access.Based on the 2007 Census conducted by the Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA), this woreda has a total population of 29,780, of whom 15,475 are men and 14,305 women; with an area of 1,046.41 square kilometers, Awash Fentale has a population density of 28.46.While 16,849 or 56.58% are urban inhabitants, a further 1,695 or 5.69% are pastoralists.