Field Assessment Mission: 7 - 10 April & 15 - 17 April 2003
By Francois Piguet, UN-Emergencies Unit for Ethiopia
Introduction and background
The mission's major objectives were to assess the humanitarian situation in Arsi, following three years of rainfall deficit. The assessment focused on general agriculture situation, livestock condition and the main humanitarian concerns, which are stressed mainly due to food insecurity at household level, water shortage, health issues and unexpected migrations of people and livestock.
According to the zonal authorities, of 22 woreda in Arsi zone, 19 are affected by the prolonged drought conditions. The most affected woreda are: Dodota Sire and Zway Gugda woreda where it is estimated that last year farmers lost 95 % of their harvest, Merti and Gololcha with 80% failure and Seru 70% failure. Woreda in the lowlands suffered greatest. At the beginning of 2003 Belg rainy season, Arsi zone has experimented rain onset delays and erratic rains, but since mid-April heavy rain occurred allover the zone.
Due to a long-term crop production decrease and the failure of Meher 2002 (Piguet, 2002), all affected woredas are facing seed problems. Only some composed seed and uncertified local seed are now available. At this stage, Asala seed enterprise production remains expensive and is mostly offering unsuitable seed for subsistence farmers. Almost no sorghum seed and maize katomani maize are available in Awasa and in Asela, the two main seed multiplication centers in south-east Ethiopia. As an alternative strategy, farmers are borrowing seed to their neighbours for the coming planting season. This strategy is likely to be costly to the farmers as the borrower is accepting the obligation to pay back up to 50% of the resulting harvest.
In addition to low agriculture performances, water shortage, pasture stress and overgrazing currently occur in the lowlands (kola) as well as in some midland (weina dega) areas, e.g. between Robe and Seru. Malnutrition may be the first sign of the emergency here in view of signs of malnutrition reported in various health posts and health centers and a high level of school drop out linked to household economic difficulties. These general indicators strongly suggest that malnutrition status should be urgently assessed in some woredas, mainly in Gololcha and Seru, the most remote areas. At the end of April, Médecins sans Frontières (MSF), Belgium sent a team to evaluate the nutritional situation and Medical Emergency Relief International (Merlin) is planning to begin operation soon in some woredas particularly Dodota Sire, Gololcha, Merti and Ziway Dugda. Up to now, Arsi zone has not received much support from international NGOs. Only World Vision (WV) is currently operating in Jeju besides a few local organizations: Oromo Self Help Organisation (OSHO), supported by German Agro-Action, is currently working in Gololcha and Merti; Charity Development Association (CDA) and Oromo development Association (ODA) are involved in relief in several woreda together with local authorities.
(pdf* format - 169 KB)