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Ethiopia

Mid-Year Review, Ethiopia Humanitarian Requirements Document, July 2017

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SUMMARY

Southern and eastern Ethiopia continue to battle the impact of the Indian Ocean Dipole-induced drought, exacerbated by disease outbreaks, large scale loss of livelihood assets and displacement. The humanitarian situation countrywide has been further compounded by below average spring rains – the third consecutive poor/failed rains in the southern drought belt.

The Government-led, multi-agency belg (spring) assessment involved some 200 staff from Government, UN, NGO and donor partners, undertaken over three weeks in June, the main conclusions of which are presented in the following pages (with Regional Snapshots included at the end of the document).

Overall, the assessment found that poor belg rains affected household food security in belg-dependent woredas of Oromia and SNNP regions.

In pastoralist areas of Somali region and pocket areas of other springrain dependent areas, an increase of livestock mortality and deteriorating body condition of remaining animals – normally a key source of nutrition and livelihood in these areas – was also found. As a result, 8.5 million food insecure Ethiopians require relief assistance to meet basic food needs, up from 7.8 million in April.

Water scarcity continues to be a driver of displacement and enables the continued spread of Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD). Drought-induced displacement is expected to be compounded by floods experienced as a result of kiremt rains, with a disproportionate impact on women and children. Displacement, flood-damage to schools, and families’ financial constraints result in increased teacher and student absentee rates and reported negative coping strategies such as child marriage, migration and labor.

The National Flood Task Force has analyzed early warning data generated through the National Disaster Risk Management Commission (NDRMC) systems and the National Meteorological Agency forecast and identified at least 1.5 million people projected to be affected (500,000 displaced) by flooding during the kiremt season.

A Government-led, well-coordinated and managed response is already underway across affected areas of the country, with details of the response available in the latest Periodic Monitoring Report (PMR) that captures outputs delivered by sectors / clusters against resources received.

The national ‘hotspot’ classification was updated in early July, with a slight increase in the number of priority woredas (districts) from 454 to 461, nearly half of which (228 woredas) are now classified as ‘priority one’ (very severe). Some 3.6 million pregnant and breastfeeding women and children under age 5 are projected to develop moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) and 376,000 children under age 5 severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in 2017.

Water scarcity continues to be a driver of displacement and enables the continued spread of Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD). Drought-induced displacement is expected to be compounded by floods experienced as a result of kiremt rains, with a disproportionate impact on women and children. Displacement, flood-damage to schools, and families’ financial constraints result in increased teacher and student absentee rates and reported negative coping strategies such as child marriage, migration and labor.

The National Flood Task Force has analyzed early warning data generated through the National Disaster Risk Management Commission (NDRMC) systems and the National Meteorological Agency forecast and identified at least 1.5 million people projected to be affected (500,000 displaced) by flooding during the kiremt season.

A Government-led, well-coordinated and managed response is already underway across affected areas of the country, with details of the response available in the latest Periodic Monitoring Report (PMR) that captures outputs delivered by sectors / clusters against resources received.

The humanitarian response is focused on support to major relief pipelines – for food, emergency nutrition and health supplies; and, technical capacity support to national service providers in the areas of greatest need. Latest funding data indicates that all life-saving sectors are underfunded. Efforts have been made to strengthen coordination and sector leadership at sub-national level, to ensure real time, evidence-based decision making in the continual targeting of assistance.

Given the deteriorating situation, the response needs to be further scaled up through to the end of the year. In highland areas the Meher harvest will only start to be available towards the end of the year; in pastoralist areas rains are only expected again in October, though it will take time for pasture to regenerate.

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