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Ethiopia

Ethiopia – Drought (ECHO Daily Flash of 13 August 2015)

  • In Ethiopia, food insecurity is widespread and rates of acute malnutrition are growing now above the international thresholds that define an emergency. Due to under-performance of two consecutive rainy seasons (Belg and Meher) the food insecure people dependent on relief food assistance (2.9 million people beginning of the year) is expected to increase now significantly. Next week the assessments are due to be published.

  • It is since 1997 that Ethiopia has seen two consecutive rainy seasons failing. This situation led to delays in planting not only the long cycle crops but now also the short cycle crops. In pastoral areas, thousands of livestock deaths have been reported. With staple market prices increasing steadily since March and decreasing livestock prices, very negative terms of trade are appearing in most communities. Malnutrition rates amongst children under-five have increased significantly. Water sources are depleted and the regeneration of pasture has not happened. Unseasonal livestock and people migration out of the most affected areas and significant livestock deaths has been observed in many parts of the North East and Eastern parts of the country.

  • In the southern pastoral areas, the situation has now slowly improved somewhat, the main crises areas are now concentrating in the North East and Eastern parts of the country: Eastern Tigray, Eastern Amhara (North and South Wollo, North Showa), Afar, Northern Somali region (Siti zone in particular), lowlands of Central and Eastern Oromia (West and East Hararghe, Arsi).