HORN OF AFRICA: Cross-border migration
"will spread crisis"
Warning that "we are now at the
early stages of what could be a massive human tragedy", a summary
of findings and recommendations to the UN Secretary-General on drought
in the Horn of Africa says that many countries in the region could be affected
by the disaster. Cross-border migration could increase dramatically,
says the report produced by UN special envoy to the region Catherine Bertini.
By far the largest number of people presently affected by drought are in Ethiopia, but cross-border migration by affected communities intensify and spread the crisis. "The pastoral societies of the semi-arid areas most severely affected...inhabit ecosystems that cut across national borders," the report says. This refers in particular to ethnic Somalis in the Ogaden; the Ethiopian Borena near the Kenya-Ethiopia border; and southern Somali communities who have traditionally used the Kenyan and Ethiopian borders. Pastoralist Afar communities use the Djibouti, Ethiopian and Eritrean borders. These areas are also "often the most insecure", says the report. In the Ogaden, ethnic Somalis have traditionally crossed into neighbouring Somalia and Kenya in search of food, but insecurity from banditry and military operations against Islamic fundamentalists and opposition groups since 1992 has contributed to restricting community movements. Attacks on vehicles and kidnappings have also restricted the operations of aid personnel, and the Ethiopian government presently recommends that international staff do not stay overnight in the Ogaden region.
The report also warns that cattle-dependent pastoralist communities affected by a three year drought has resulted in "dramatic increases in livestock mortality...from 20-90 percent". Livestock are congregating around exhausted grazing reserves and water points, and the price of available grain is high compared to collapsed prices for livestock.
The report says governments in the region "bear the main responsibility for disaster prevention ..and providing relief assistance to their citizens" but that the magnitude of the current drought "far exceeds the financial and logistics capacities available for the governments in the region". The Ethiopian, Kenyan and Eritrean governments have pledged funds from their own budgets to purchase cereals locally for the drought-affected, and have used strategic food reserves - which are now low.
The report warns that donor coordination is "a key to successful responses" and recommends the creation of a regional security and operational information network to monitor the movement of people, staff, logistics inputs and relief supplies across borders. It added that an estimated 16 million lives at risk will be reassessed as the rains failed to arrive in March. "If there are no rains by May the number of people in need of relief will increase significantly," it said.
ERITREA: UN describes situation as "precarious"
UN Resident Coordinator for Eritrea Simon Nhongo told IRIN that the humanitarian situation in Eritrea was "precarious" and that "the situation could easily slide into a catastrophe". UN agencies had appealed for US $42.7 million in January for humanitarian needs, including 62,800 mt of food aid to cover 372,000 people affected by war and over 211,000 hit by drought, but there has been a shortfall in food pledges and deliveries to Eritrea. A significant USAID pledge of 40,000 mt is due to arrive, of which 17,000 mt will go to WFP and the rest to the Eritrean Relief and Refugee Commission (ERREC). Nhongo said donors had reacted to the "more publicised situation" in other areas of the Horn of Africa, but that "people are on the brink" in Eritrea.
Requirements for non-food aid are being updated following the recent visit of UN special envoy Catherine Bertini, to go into an overall UN supplementary appeal due to be finalised next week. Most non-food aid required relates to health, water and sanitation. Affected communities have been assisted effectively by ERREC and the government's strategic food reserve, but local coping mechanisms and supplies are under stress, Nhongo said.
Presidential adviser Yemane GebreMeskal told IRIN that although communities in Eritrea had been hard hit by drought over the last two or three years, the government had "been able to manage the crisis" up to now "which is why you do not see the sort of images here that you do coming out of Ethiopia".
ETHIOPIA-ERITREA: Indirect talks in Algeria
A delegation led by the foreign ministry will be going to Algeria for indirect talks with Ethiopia on the border conflict scheduled for 29 April, Eritrean presidential adviser Yemane GebreMeskal said on Thursday. He told IRIN that Eritrea "has accepted all talks aimed at ending the conflict" and blamed Ethiopia for failing to reach an agreement based on the OAU peace process.
Ethiopia also confirmed it would take part, according to a foreign ministry statement. Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin will head the Ethiopian delegation at the invitation of the current OAU chairman, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. "Ethiopia has always been committed to the OAU peace process, and it has decided to participate in the rescheduled talks now planned to start on 29 April," the statement said. The OAU has drawn up a framework agreement under which both countries would withdraw from occupied areas and halt hostilities, with the possible stationing of peacekeepers in contested areas. Both sides have variously accused the other of disregarding the terms and conditions of the plan, but are now under re-newed pressure by the international community to resolve the conflict because of the humanitarian crisis in the region.
ETHIOPIA: Southern communities hit by drought
Poor rainfall and insufficient crops in the Borena Zone of the Oromiya region and in South Omo has led to increased internal migration, says a report released by the UN Ethiopia Country Team. "People have started migrating to nearby towns in search of food aid or employment," the report says. Affected communities are moving cattle to different localities in search of water and grazing, and are selling off young and unproductive animals in an attempt to cope. Livestock are in poor condition after insufficient rains for three consecutive years, the report adds. It proposes assistance for veterinary services and medicines, feed for milk-producing livestock, and slaughter facilities to increase dried meat for local consumption. According to the report, US $11.5 million is needed for the Livestock Emergency Appeal for the drought affected pastoralist areas.
ETHIOPIA: OLF calls for referendum and talks
The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) wants a referendum to decide on whether to set up an "Oromiya republic" or "stay within the Ethiopian fold", said an OLF spokesman in a VOA interview. Lencho Bati, the OLF external information officer said talks "without preconditions" with the Ethiopian government was also an option, and called for the establishment of a transitional government composed of the present government and "alienated political parties". The OLF has pursued armed opposition since leaving the coalition government in 1993, and has been blamed for insecurity on the roads in eastern Haraghe, now vital for transportation of relief supplies into the Ogaden region.
SOMALIA: Delegates from Djibouti pursue peace talk agenda
Two delegations from Djibouti arrived in Somalia in an attempt to persuade Somali leaders to participate in a peace conference now expected to take place on 2 May, AP news agency reported. The conference was supposed to run from 20 April to 5 May, but was halted by controversy and anti-Djibouti demonstrations in Somalia the day before it was due to begin. On Wednesday one delegation from Djibouti met with leaders in Baidoa, capital of Bay region in southern Somalia, and the other delegation visited Hiran region in central Somalia. The four-member delegation led by Iddris Harbi Farah, a parliamentary official was welcomed by the head of the Rahanwein Resistance Army (RRA) which controls the Bay region, and the local governor. The RRA has been among the most outspoken of the factions opposing the talks in Djibouti, but has participated recently in talks with Djibouti officials, AP said. In the last two weeks, Djibouti delegations have visited Puntland, Mogadishu, and Somaliland to try and persuade the different factions and leaders to participate in talks which are the brainchild of Djibouti President Ismael Omar Guelleh, and supported by international bodies including the OAU and IGAD.
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