The overall poor performance of the 2009 belg/gu/ganna/sugum rains further deteriorated the food security situation during the first half of 2009. The number of beneficiaries increased from 4.9 million in January 2009 to 5.3 million in May due to prevailing food insecurity. Furthermore, the findings of the multi-agency livelihood security assessment conducted in June/July 2009 and subsequent monitoring results indicate an increase in the number of relief food beneficiaries to 6.2 million.

The total net emergency requirement

Why Ethiopia?

Ethiopia is extremely vulnerable to drought and other natural disasters such as floods, heavy rains, frost and heat

In brief

Programme purpose: The Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS) programmes in the first half of 2009 focused on making a real change in the lives of the targeted communities. ERCS reduced the impact of disasters, diseases, public health emergencies and number of deaths and injuries among the vulnerable population in Ethiopia. The ERCS addressed its own capacity building in disaster response and preparedness in order to deliver better services to disaster affected population.

The health and care programme aimed to

The CFSAM phase-2 mission sought to integrate the findings from two assessments that took place in November and December 2008: the FAO Crop and Food Supply Assessment (phase-1) and the government-led, multi-agency Meher Emergency Food Security Assessment (EFSA). The highlights are as follows:

Food production, markets and prices

- In 2008, very significant progress was made by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MoARD) and the Central Statistics Authority (CSA) in reconciling the long standing

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community;

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC, EURATOM) No.1257/96 of 20 June 1996 concerning humanitarian aid and, in particular, Article 2 and Article 15(2) thereof;

Whereas:

(1) Ethiopia is regularly affected by natural end/or man-made disasters which particularly affect the most vulnerable part of the population. Food production is extremely uncertain as it is determined by the amount and distribution of rainfall received. Regular

Food Security Update

The first part of the FAO Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission (CFSAM) indicated that meher crop performance is good in the western parts of the country, and harvest could be average especially for the main crop growing areas notes WFP. However, teff production is likely to be below average due to the effect of the unseasonal rains received during October/early November. Harvest prospects are below average in the eastern half of the country. FAO has completed the first phase of

Crop harvest prospects

There is an overall improvement in the food security situation in some parts of the country. Poor meher rains have, however, caused substantial damage to crops in the low and midland areas of Eastern Oromiya, Dire Dawa, Harar and eastern Amhara, according to the latest WFP food security update. In the lowlands of East and West Harerghe zones, crops of maize and sorghum have dried-up and are used for animal feed. The report also notes a likelihood of depressed harvest in

DRC

- Negotiations to resolve the conflict, between delegations from both the DRC Government and the Congrès National pour la Défense du Peuple (CNDP), which started on 8 December 2008 in Nairobi under the mediation of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) for eastern DRC, Olusegun Obasanjo and former Tanzanian president, Benjamin Mkapa, will resume again on 17 December 2008. The SRSG remains optimistic concerning the outcome.

Ethiopia

The situation in DRC is still unstable with humanitarian aid not reaching many people. The cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe is still out of control. The outbreak is spreading in the Southern African countries. WHO and partners continue to support efforts aimed at information sharing from affected border districts, strengthening surveillance, as well as for resource mobilization.

Countries Situations

Acute Crises

- Angola: The cholera outbreak is of high concern as the possibility of spreading to all the Country is