ReliefWeb

HIGHLIGHTS

• USAID activates a DART to coordinate the USG response to deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Ethiopia

• USAID partners provide relief food assistance and seed, WASH, and nutrition interventions across drought-affected areas of Ethiopia

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

• On March 3, USAID Administrator Gayle Smith announced the activation of a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to lead the U.S. Government (USG) response to the drought in Ethiopia. In support of the Government of Ethiopia (GoE), which has shown strong leadership in the response, the USAID DART is coordinating USG emergency response activities in close partnership with the UN and relief organizations.

• USAID/OFDA staff traveled to Amhara, Oromiya, Tigray, and Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples (SNNP) regions during February to assess the scale and scope of humanitarian needs in Ethiopia, particularly inadequate seed stocks, severe water shortages, increased acute malnutrition cases, and deteriorating food security levels.