U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
BUREAU FOR DEMOCRACY, CONFLICT, AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE (DCHA)
OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA)
Note: The last situation report was dated February 6, 2009.
BACKGROUND
Consecutive seasons of failed rains, exacerbated by a rapidly growing population, increased inflation, endemic poverty, and limited government capacity, have led to chronic food insecurity and water shortages in Ethiopia. The delayed onset and poor performance of the March to May 2008 belg rains, combined with the widespread failure of the previous two consecutive rains, have resulted in below-normal harvests and diminished pasture throughout Somali Region and large areas of Oromiya, Afar, Tigray, Amhara, and Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples (SNNP) regions. Significant humanitarian challenges, including flooding, conflict, malnutrition, delayed food deliveries, and locust and armyworm infestations, confront populations in many areas of the country. In Somali Region, insurgent activity and security operations have disrupted trade networks, and restrictions on the movement of people and livestock combined with the failure of past rains have exacerbated food insecurity.
On January 30, the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (GFDRE) released the Humanitarian Requirements Document identifying the estimated humanitarian requirements in Ethiopia for 2009. Based on a November and December 2008 assessment, the GFDRE expects 4.9 million people to require emergency food assistance between January and June 2009, including nearly 1.6 million people in Somali Region. In addition, an estimated 7.2 million beneficiaries currently receive food or cash assistance from the GFDRE-managed Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP).
On October 6, 2008, U.S. Chargé d'Affaires Deborah R. Malac reissued a disaster declaration in response to humanitarian conditions in Ethiopia. To date in FY 2009, the U.S. Government (USG) has provided more than $80 million for logistics, relief commodities, and emergency food assistance, as well as nutrition, refugee assistance, and agriculture and food security programs throughout Ethiopia.
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NUMBERS AT A GLANCE
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SOURCE
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| GFDRE PSNP Caseload |
7.2 million
| GFDRE Food Security Coordination Bureau - September 2009 |
| PSNP Caseload Requiring Emergency Food Assistance |
5.6 million
| GFDRE MOARD - September 2008 |
| Additional Population Requiring Emergency Food Assistance |
4.9 million
| GFDRE MOARD - January 2009 |
FY 2009 HUMANITARIAN FUNDING PROVIDED TO DATE
USAID/OFDA Assistance to Ethiopia:
$1,348,130
USAID/FFP Assistance to Ethiopia: $76,245,000
State/PRM Assistance to Ethiopia: $2,650,000
Total USG Humanitarian Assistance to Ethiopia: $80,243,130