Ethiopia Humanitarian Bulletin Issue 67 | 29 October - 11 November 2018

Highlights

• Access constraints continue to prevent humanitarian partners from reaching some 57,000 displaced persons who remained within Oda (15,000) and Kamashi (42,000) zones of Benishangul Gumuz region.

Figures

• Affected population: 7.95 m
• MAM: 370,000
• SAM: 416,000

• of people displaced due to conflict: 2.2 m

• of people displaced due to climatic shocks: 0.5 m

Funding

• US$1.494 billion: Requirement for the 2nd half of 2018 Ethiopia Humanitarian and Disaster Resilience Plan
• Funding shortfall: US$416.4 million

Security remains a challenge to access IDPs in Benishangul Gumuz

Access constraints continue to prevent humanitarian partners from reaching some 57,000 displaced persons within Oda (15,000) and Kamashi (42,000) zones of Benishangul Gumuz region. Due to continuing security concerns in Benishangul Gumuz region, only government officials, with armed escort, were able to provide a one-time humanitarian assistance to IDPs in the two zones. Government and partners were able to provide limited assistance to some 182,000 people who have been displaced from Benishangul Gumuz region to East Wollega (101,000) and West Wollega (81,000) zones of the neigbouring Oromia region. The National Disaster Risk Management Commission (NDRMC) has delivered first-round emergency relief food to IDPs in East and West Wollega, but resource shortfall remains.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian country team encouraged partners to mobilize additional human resources and also increase prepositioning in Assosa to allow speedy response once access is possible. This will help to address critical needs of food and nutrition, NFIs, WaSH, Health and education services of IDPs in Benishangul Guzmuz region. An estimated 240,000 people who were displaced from Benishangul Gumuz region are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. The unprecedented violence that started in Kamashi zone on 26 September and continued through October and November forced most vulnerable groups (women, children and the elderly) to flee with no personal belongings, including clothing.

Government and humanitarian partners to conduct the 2018 Ethiopia meher assessment

The 2018 Government-led multi-agency needs assessment is planned from17 November to 15 December. 25 teams will conduct the assessment in all regions including Afar, Amhara, Benishangul Gumuz, Gambella, Harari, Oromia, Somali, SNNP and Tigray regions and Dire Dawa Council. The team will assess the performance of kiremt (summer) rains on harvest in cropping areas and the performance of the short seasonal deyr/hagaya (autumn) rains in the lowland areas of south and southeastern Ethiopia. The result of the assessment will help determine the humanitarian requirements for Ethiopia in 2019.

The 2019 Ethiopian Humanitarian Disaster Resilence Plan (HDRP) will incorporate three pillars: Prevention and Mitigation, Preparedness and Response, and National Systems Strengthening and Recovery. Partners are putting in place a multi-year planning to mitigate Ethiopia’s cyclical drought to best address humanitarian needs that are predictable and recurrent.

Joint RC/HC–NDRMC mission to Gedeo-West Guji zones

On 14 – 16 November 2018, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator/Resident Coordinator (a.i.), Mr. Aeneas Chuma, and Deputy Commissioner of the National Disaster Risk Management Commission (NDRMC), Mr. Damene Darota, will lead a joint mission to Gedeo and West Guji Zones of SNNPR and Oromia Regional States. The objective of the mission is to jointly review the status of humanitarian response and needs of conflict affected people in Gedeo and west Guji, get first hand feedback from partners & Government counterparts in the field on operational issues, visit IDP and returnee collective sites, and hear from affected population.

The newly arrived UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator made his first mission to Somali region on 17– 18 October 2018 where he met the regional president, the regional humanitarian country team and visited Qoloji IDP site.