Ethiopia: Humanitarian Bulletin - 09 Dec 2008

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION UPDATE

Most of the multi-agency emergency assessment teams deployed across the regions are currently compiling their findings. Preliminary findings of the teams correspond to earlier reports from the field on the adverse impacts of the unsesonal rains in October and November on meher harvests. The rains compounded with frost and hailstorm contributed to crop failure in some woredas in Tigray and Amhara regions, which will further affect households' recovery from acute food insecurity, reports WFP. With the onset of the rains, pasture and water availability in the pastoral and agro-pastoral livelihood zones have, however, continued to improve. The teams will further report on the food security situation and required interventions. In some mid and highland areas in Oromiya Region, frost has reportedly affected crops such as chickpeas, wheat, peas and beans leading to significant yield loss. Late-planted maize crops are also wilting in the lowland areas due to moisture stress. In Afar, water tankering continued in the chronic water insecure woredas - Elidaar, Korrie, Bidu and Erebti.

Meanwhile, the multi-agency assessment in Somali Region commenced on 2nd December. According to WFP, although water levels in Wabi Shebelle River are subsiding, several villages in Kalafo and Mustahil woredas are still marooned by floodwaters. Some of the Food Distribution Points (FDPs) in Kalafo are inaccessible by road, affecting food distribution. There are also increased reports of waterborne diseases in the flood affected areas. Emergency sectoral responses are ongoing. As of 05 December, 90 MT of food had been airlifted from Dire Dawa hub to the flood-affected population in Gode Zone. Additionally, approximately 3000 MT has been dispatched to Gode through various hubs out of the October-November allocation. UNHAS has also continued to provide air transport service to humanitarian workers to Somali Region. For more information contact: ocha-eth@un.org & wfp.addisababa@wfp.org,

Food

Status of relief food dispatches for food allocated during October 2008 by region stands at: Afar - 100%, Amhara - 90%, Beneshangul Gumuz - 68%, Dire Dawa - 100%, Gambella - 99%, Harari - 100%, Oromiya - 94%, SNNPR - 95%, Somali - 81%, and Tigray - 76%. Based on available stocks, the Relief Food Prioritization Committee comprising Government, WFP, USAID and NGOs, agreed on allocation of a reduced ration - two thirds- of cereals and non-cereals including pulses for relief beneficiaries for the month of December; while, blended food will be allocated to 35 percent of the most vulnerable group. Under the Targeted Supplementary Feeding (TSF) programme, during the week, 1,014MT of blended food and oil was provided to 71,159 beneficiaries in Oromiya, SNNPR, Tigray and Somali regions. Apart for Somali Region, beneficiaries received half rations due to outstanding resource shortage. WFP is prioritizing hotspots woredas for ad-hoc supplementary feeding response in the coming two months under emergency to address malnutrition in woredas not covered under the regular EOS/TSF programme. Discussions are ongoing between WFP and UNICEF on the transition of EOS to Health Extension Programme in Community Based Nutrition woredas to further enhance the quality of EOS screening and facilitate timely food delivery through decentralized pre-positioning. The woredas will have quarterly screening with subsequent TSF distributions.

Meanwhile, in order to facilitate food transportation through the Djibouti port and address outstanding congestion, a meeting between various stakeholders was held during the week to discuss viable alternatives to mitigate impact of the delay on food assistance in the first half of 2009. For more information contact: wfp.addisababa@wfp.org,

Nutrition

A total of 2,246 new admissions were reported from the six regions - SNNPR, Oromiya, Tigray, Amhara and Somali - during the week. Despite the relatively small number, new admissions in Amhara has consistently remained at about 150 and above in the last few weeks with 75.5 percent reporting rate. Four more OTP sites were opened by World Vision Ethiopia (WVE) in Efratana woreda, which has brought the total TFP sites in the region to 40 as of beginning of December. Although new admissions continued to decline in SNNPR for the second month in a row, the region still accounts for 46 percent of the total new admissions reported. Higher number of new admissions also continued to be reported from hotspot woredas such as Gedio. In Oromiya, on top of the inconsistent reporting rate, there are mixed reports from partners implementing emergency nutrition interventions.

Meanwhile, SC-UK plans to conduct standard nutrition assessments in Dessie Zuria, West Bedawacho, Dore Boefano and Lanfaro as part of nutrition intervention monitoring. Similar assessments are also planned by SC-US in Bona and Konso. Results of rapid assessments conducted by WVE in Sarti Samre indicate the need for emergency nutrition interventions

HRF has granted US$ 6 million for emergency nutrition intervention by UNICEF in drought affected woredas of Oromiya, SNNPR, Somali, Amhara, Tigray and Afar regions. In view of the outstanding requirements, HRF has thus far allocated 46% of the total funding to nutrition interventions. ENCU continued to advocate for the expansion of emergency nutrition interventions in hotspot woredas especially in Amahra, Somali and Afar and Tigray. While in Tigray, almost all hotpot woredas are covered by emergency interventions, the challenge is coverage of the interventions within the hotspot woredas. SC UK has indicated interest to expand emergency nutrition interventions in Amhara region. For more information contact: orlao@dppc.gov.et & ocha-eth@un.org,