Ethiopia: Humanitarian impact of drought Flash Update #1, 22 December 2023

HIGHLIGHTS

• The drought situation is worsening in some parts of northern, southern, and southeastern Ethiopia and will deteriorate further unless aid is scaled up.

• Regional authorities in Amhara and Tigray have raised alarm and alerted aid agencies of the deteriorating humanitarian situation due to drought and food insecurity.

• Humanitarian partners are responding and are targeting nearly 5,629,730 individuals in 3,374 villages in 892 Kebeles. However, with the 2023 Ethiopia Humanitarian Response only 33.5 per cent funded, urgent resources are required to scale up response.

• While the Government has continued to provide food assistance, the resumption of the USAID-funded food distribution in mid-December after several months of a pause is helping to meet some of the urgent needs.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

The drought situation is worsening in some parts of northern, southern, and southeastern Ethiopia and is expected to deteriorate further unless aid is urgently scaled up. The shortage of rain and crop failure in some northern and southeastern areas, and then heavy rains which resulted in flooding and destruction of crops in parts of the southeastern (Somali Region) and western areas of the country have also negatively impacted income sources from livestock sales and production. The negative impact on the sale of livestock is more directly linked to drought.
El Niño-induced drought in some meher crop-producing areas and northern pastoral areas, and poor economic conditions are contributing to high food aid needs. Communities in some areas have been grappling with the lingering effects of the devastating northern conflict (2020-2022) amid the gradual resumption of the USAIDfunded food distribution in mid-December after several months of food-aid pause. While the Ethiopian authorities (and other humanitarian partners although at a smaller scale) have continued to provide food assistance, the resumption of the USAID-funded food distribution is helping to meet some of the urgent needs in priority areas.

Regional authorities in Amhara and Tigray have raised alarm and alerted aid agencies of the deteriorating humanitarian situation due to drought and food insecurity in 52 woredas/districts South, East, Southeast, Central, and Northwestern, and Mekelle City of Tigray, as well as of a reported 2.8 million drought and conflict-affected people in 43 districts of North and South Wello, North Shewa, Oromia Special and North Gondar zones of Amhara region. The current food insecurity poses a threat to an already dire situation as the two regions face beyondemergency thresholds. In Amhara, about one million people lack access to drinking water as at least 1,500 water points have dried up. Farmlands have been damaged and 2.4 million livestock have been affected. The Food Security Outlook for October 2023 – May 2024 forecasts some areas of the Tigray region to deteriorate further while some populations, predominantly among the displaced, will experience severe food insecurity according to FEWSNET. In a statement on 7 December, the Nutrition Cluster noted that the escalating food security crisis in the Tigray region threatens to worsen the nutritional status of the already vulnerable populations, especially in areas affected by failed or untimely rains.