INTRODUCTION:
stunting is among the leading public health problems in the world. in Ethiopia, stunting is the underlying cause of 270,000 under-five children’s deaths each year. little is known about the prevalence and determinants of stunting among children in pastoralist communities. this study aims to determine the prevalence of stunting and its determinants among children in drought-affected pastoralist communities.

METHODS:
a cross-sectional study was conducted among randomly selected under-five children with mothers from May 20 to June 30, 2023. a multistage cluster sampling technique was employed for recruitment. data was collected with Kobo Toolbox and analyzed using SPSS version 25. weight for height/length was calculated using the WHO Anthro version 3.2.2 software. the study of factors associated with stunting was assessed using logistic regression, and significance was determined at p-value < 0.05 at a 95% confidence interval.

RESULTS:
the overall prevalence of stunting among the children in the study area was 47.3% (95% CI: 43.3%–51.3%). stunting has a positive association with the advancing age of the children (2.84, 95% CI: 1.83, 4.39), maternal occupation (2.86, 95% CI: 1.29, 6.33), household food insecurity (1.49, 95% CI: 1.014, 2.12), and decrease in the wealth status of the household (3.66, 95% CI: 2.05, 6.52).

CONCLUSIONS:
the prevalence of stunting in the study area was greater than regional and national averages. children's age, maternal occupation, poor wealth status, and household food insecurity were factors associated with stunting. thus, nutritional intervention programs in the Teltele district should focus on these factors.