Ethiopia - Northern Ethiopia Humanitarian Update Situation Report, 24 February 2022

HIGHLIGHTS

• Regional authorities estimate few hundred thousand people displaced in Zone 2 in Afar, while displacement is still ongoing, significantly increasing the needs in the region.

• More than 6.8 million people reached with of food assistance in Amhara under the current food distribution cycle launched two months ago.

• About 4 MT of seeds distributed to more than 11,000 farming households in Tigray since the start of the year.

• More than 1,500 children, including more than 630 girls, in 13 schools in Dubti and Awash Fentale woredas in Afar enrolled in informal learning programs.

• Humanitarian partners continue to reduce their operations in Tigray due to lack of supplies, fuel, and cash.

Situation Overview

The situation in northern Ethiopia remains fragile and unpredictable. Although the overall situation in Tigray and Amhara regions continue to be relatively calm as lines of contacts remained static, armed clashes, with reported use of heavy weapons and airstrikes, continued to be reported in multiple locations in Afar Region mainly in Berhale, Erebti, Koneba, and Abala woredas, all in Kilbeti zone (Zone 2). Insecurity in Afar and earlier administrative measures, with no relief convoys reaching Tigray since mid-December, continue to affect civilian lives, their safety, restrict access to livelihoods. This situation further increases humanitarian needs notably with a continuing and growing number of displaced people and hinders humanitarian access and delivery of aid to affected areas in northern Ethiopia.

According to Afar regional government authorities, the ongoing conflict has so far displaced hundreds of thousands of people, mostly pastoralists, in Zone 2 alone, and displacement is still ongoing. Consequently, the humanitarian situation in the region continues to be dire and is further deteriorating. An estimated 200,000 people, including internally displaced people (IDPs) in Afar, are in hard-to-reach locations either due to road conditions, security concerns, or trapped behind the lines of contact or took refuge in remote areas with no access to humanitarian assistance and services.

In accessible areas in Afar, humanitarian response is insufficient owing to low partner presence and limited resources to respond to the fast-growing needs. A recent protection assessment mission to the Euwa, Chifra and Adar displacement sites in zone 1 (Awsi) and zone 4 (Fenti) identified food as a top priority need followed by child protection and health care services. Access to food, shelter, health, education, sanitation, water, energy, and markets is overwhelmingly characterized as ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’ by key informants across the two zones. According to respondents in the areas monitored, IDPs’ access to identification and civil documents is very challenging. Humanitarian partners, in support of the Afar regional Government-led response efforts, are scaling-up response in the region.

The UN refugee agency reported on 18 February that thousands of Eritrean refugees fled Barahle refugee camp and its surroundings in Afar after fighting engulfed the area. The refugees reported that at least five refugees were killed, and several women kidnapped after unidentified gunmen entered the camp on 3 February. Over 4,000 refugees are currently in Semera where they are provided with shelter, food, clean water, and non-food items including sleeping mats, blankets, buckets, kitchen sets and sanitary napkins. Children under five, pregnant and lactating women are receiving adequate nutrition services. Partners set-up protection desks to identify the most vulnerable, including separated children and people with specific needs, and provide with dedicated support. A temporary site in Serdo town, 40 kilometers from Semera, has been identified where partners are preparing to relocate refugees as soon as possible. About 10,000 refugees are also reported to be living in Afdera town, approximately 225 kilometers from Semera.

The current blockage of the Semera-Abala-Mekelle route has further exacerbated the flow of humanitarian supplies into Tigray, combined with the limited supplies allowed in before mid-December, mainly due to earlier administrative measures, which was already far below what is needed. Since 12 July, only 8 per cent of the 16,000 trucks with the needed humanitarian supplies entered Tigray. As a result, humanitarian operations have been further impacted and humanitarian partners continue to reduce their operations. Two out of three partners halted their school feeding program this week due to lack of supplies and cash. The third partner limited the distribution of high energy biscuits to only early childhood care and development classes in Shire area of operations in North-West Zone while sharing one pack among two or three children to adjust with the limited supplies. One partner ceased distribution of scholastic materials in Tselmati woreda in North-West Zone due to lack of fuel. Food partners reported that as of 22 February, only around 800 metric tons (MT) of food commodities remain within Tigray.