National Needs Assessment Update

The national needs assessment launched on 8 June (1 June in Somali Region) is concluding this week with a series of briefings for regional authorities by each of the assessment teams. A full analysis of the assessment results will be conducted once the regional reports are received by the federal Disaster Risk Management and Food Security Sector (DRMFSS), the government entity responsible for coordination humanitarian assistance in Ethiopia, and published as the revised Humanitarian Requirements Document for the period July to January 2012. For more information, contact: infodrmfss@dppc.gov.et

Relief Food Update

Dispatch of the fourth round of relief food (June), which is targeting 3.4 million people, reached 28 per cent as of 19 June, while dispatch of the third round (April), targeting 3.2 million, reached 84 per cent. Fourth round beneficiaries increased by approximately 200,000 people with the DRMFSS decision to allocate assistance to an additional 180,800 food-insecure people in Wolayita zone, and for the NGO Consortium Joint Emergency Operation (JEOP) to cover an added 6,856 people in Hadiya zone (both SNNPR) as per the urgent requests received from the regional government. Increasing food insecurity has been a growing concern across eastern SNNPR due to the late arrival of the belg rains, which has delayed the next harvest in the region by up to two months. Meanwhile, a one-month supply of relief food has been pre-positioned for parts of North Gonder zone (Amhara) and West Tigray zone that normally become inaccessible during the long kiremt rainy season. Dispatch of the food is expected to start in the coming week. For more information, contact: wfp.addisababa@wfp.org