Ethiopia - Situation Report, 13 December 2024

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Highlights (13 Dec 2024)

• Some 10.2 million people received at least one type of assistance in 2024. Despite challenges, a prioritized response is underway by humanitarian responders and Government.
• Protection issues - especially gender-based violence - remain a major concern in conflict- affected areas.
• Significant access milestones have been recently achieved in conflict-affected Amhara Region.
• Anticipatory actions are underway ahead of the anticipated La Niña-induced erratic rainfall, including through $17 million in CERF and EHF funding.
• The total preliminary multi-sectoral target of people to be assisted in 2025 is 10 million, requiring $2bn.

Situation Overview

Ethiopia’s humanitarian situation remains concerning with climate-induced disasters such as drought, floods and devastating landslides continuing to affect millions of vulnerable Ethiopians, impacting food insecurity and malnutrition. Ongoing conflict and violence, particularly in the Amhara and western Oromia regions, continue to displace civilians and to disrupt humanitarian operations and essential services. Protection issues - especially gender-based violence - remain a major concern in conflict-affected areas, while response to disease outbreaks, including the longest cholera outbreak on record and malaria, remains a priority for the country.

2024 has been a challenging year for humanitarians with response operations consistently trailing behind the significantly high needs due to resource constraints and access impediments. Despite these challenges, a well- coordinated response is underway, with the Government of Ethiopia and partners regularly conducting data-driven prioritization to make the most of the limited resources and reach the most vulnerable populations first.

In areas fraught with insecurity, humanitarians continue to deliver assistance to people in need and engage with all relevant stakeholders to negotiate access, ensuring they reach affected communities without compromising staff safety. Significant access milestones have been recently achieved, particularly in conflict-affected Amhara Region, including new missions conducted to Metema and East and West Gojam. The UN Agencies and humanitarian partners are coordinating under the “Joint Movements Planning for Amhara” Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and following the Code of Conduct (1) for Humanitarians in Ethiopia. This approach has facilitated a shared understanding of humanitarian principles and commitments essential for operations in insecure environments.

Overall, some 10.2 million people received at least one type of humanitarian assistance from 1 January to 31 October 2024, including 4.6 million people receiving monthly food distributions, on average. Meanwhile, the Government and partners have called for early action to mitigate the worst impact of the anticipated La Niña-induced drought in the lowlands of south and southeastern Ethiopia in October-December and beyond. The United Nations has already allocated US$17 million–$10 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and $7 million for the Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund (EHF). Projects have started to be implemented to this effect by federal and regional governments and partners. Donors are called on to urgently mobilize new support.

For 2025, the Government of Ethiopia and humanitarian partners are already planning to target some 10 million people with expected funding requirements of $2 billion, as indicated in the Global Humanitarian Overview document launched by the United Nations and humanitarian partners on 4 December 2024 (2). These preliminary figures are subject to change as assessments and consultations with concerned authorities continue. Final figures will differentiate between People in Need and People Targeted.

BACKGROUND (13 Dec 2024)

Unseasonal rains, floods damage meher crops, impact yield

Following the overall good Kiremt (June-September) rains, the prospects for the 2024 Meher season – the main cropping season in Ethiopian highlands – are largely favorable, with positive impact on food security and nutritional levels expected. Harvesting in key producing areas has started and will conclude in December. According to a 10 October FAO report (3), remote sensing data as of late September 2024 revealed that “vegetation conditions were good across all Meher cropping areas (ASI map for cropland) and cereal production prospects are generally favourable,” except in “some southwestern agropastoral areas due to floods and in parts of Amhara Region due to insecurity that disrupted agricultural operations.”

Unseasonal rains in October and November are reported to have caused further damage to the Meher harvest, impacting yield. In Tigray Region, unseasonal heavy rains on 25-27 October have damaged croplands in Central, Eastern and Northwestern zones. To prevent further loss, the Tigray Regional Disaster Risk Management Commission (DRMC), the Bureau of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BoANR) and OCHA have mobilized more than 400 humanitarian agency staff (UN agencies and NGOs), civil servants and students on 5 November to support crop harvest of the most vulnerable farming households in Endarta Woreda of Southeastern Zone. Humanitarian staff working in the area have also mobilized 7,800 sickles with an estimated cost of some ETB5 million through voluntary contribution. Similar voluntary services have been mobilized in other areas of the region.

Similarly, heavy unseasonal rainfall on 2-4 November 2024 has caused flooding in Shashego Woreda of Hadyia Zone, Central Ethiopia Region. More than 16,000 people were affected by the floods, including over 3,220 people displaced across 14 kebeles (38 per cent of the woreda). Croplands and properties were damaged. The displaced population are currently being sheltered and assisted by the host community.

In Oromia Region, flooding following heavy rainfall on 18 October displaced more than 3,500 people in Metarii rural town of Gelana Woreda and disrupted social services and livelihoods, including some 296 hectares of farmland destroyed.

The performance of the 2024 Meher season and its impact on crops and livestock will be fully gaged along with its humanitarian implication by the nationwide Multi Agency Seasonal Verification Assessment, which started on 16 November and will continue until 6 December. The assessment results will inform the 2025 humanitarian requirements in Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND (13 Dec 2024)

Conflict, violence hamper access, exacerbate vulnerabilities – response continues without compromising staff safety

Hundreds of thousands of people in need of humanitarian assistance, including malnourished children and pregnant and lactating women (PLW), are in hard-to-reach areas, with ongoing conflict and violence hampering access to basic services and disrupting aid operations. In Amhara for example, the Nutrition Cluster is facing major challenges in emergency nutrition response due to last-mile delivery issues caused by access constraints, in addition to reduced partner presence and funding gaps. Only 69,000 severely malnourished children (SAM) were treated from January to November 2024 – 39 per cent of the target in the 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), according to the Nutrition Cluster. The Targeted Supplementary Feeding Program (TSFP) only reached 34 per cent of 1.3 million targeted children under five and 33 per cent of targeted 785,000 PLW. Region-wide nutrition screening is inconsistent due to security challenges and limited partners, and stands at 49 per cent, significantly below the required coverage (more than 85 per cent). Meanwhile, more than 40 per cent of health facilities in the region have been either looted or damaged, according to the Health Cluster, severely limiting access to health services amidst several public health outbreaks such as cholera (4,400 cases including 60 deaths since April) and sharply increasing malaria (1 million cases including 50 deaths reported from health facilities between July and November, with over 83,000 facility-reported cases per week, constituting a 67 per cent increase compared to 2023).

Despite security challenges, humanitarian responses continue with due consideration to the safety of humanitarian staff risking their lives in this insecure environment. Ten aid workers have been killed in 2024, eight of whom in Amhara Region, and others kidnapped.

Significant access milestones have been achieved in October – November, including recent missions successfully traversing routes from Gondar to Metema, Awi, and into the Gojjam areas of Amhara, where ongoing conflict and criminal activities continue to restrict access. From 16 to 24 October, a convoy reached Mekaneselam Town in Eastern Amhara where health and nutrition supplies were hard to pass through. On 1 November, nine WFP trucks carrying 276 metric tons of food commodities arrived in Genda Wuha in West Gondar Zone, Amhara Region following access engagements conducted from 23 to 25 October. West Gondar Zone is home to nearly 8,000 Sudanese refugees, and the Metema point of entry on the border with Sudan is a significant hub for humanitarian operations due to the refugees fleeing the conflict in Sudan. Two additional inter-agency access assessment and response missions were conducted in November to the conflict-affected East and West Gojam zones. The Gojjam missions succeeded in determining a somewhat permissive access environment through intensive negotiations with key community stakeholders.

BACKGROUND (13 Dec 2024)

Conflict and violence also continue to increase protection risks for affected people - women, men, girls and boys alike.

Since the conflict began in July 2023 in Amhara Region, and as of October 2024, the regional Public Health Institute (APHI) reported 1,681 survivors, including 1,645 women and 36 men, that sought help for sexual violence in 32 health facilities. Nearly 47 per cent of these survivors are under 18. However, this data only reflects reports from a small fraction of health facilities, with under-reporting due to fear of stigma, retaliation, and access issues. The absence of the GBV Information Management System (GBVIMS) further complicates efforts to assess the full scale of GBV incidents. Despite rising needs, partners have reached less than 20 per cent of target due to insufficient funding, with only 30 per cent of its 2024 funding request of US$35 million, received. An additional $5 million is urgently needed to strengthen service centres and provide essential GBV services in high priority woredas, particularly in western Amhara.

The Ethiopia Humanitarian Country Team (EHCT) remains committed to tackling GBV and continues to advance several cross-cutting priorities such as Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA). Efforts are underway across sectors to ensure that 10 specific PSEA and related indicators are integrated into the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP). Meanwhile, the Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund (EHF) – managed by OCHA on behalf of the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ethiopia - uses a targeted allocation strategy endorsed by the EHCT to focus the limited funds available on urgent protection needs. In Amhara Region, EHF supports the Organization for Social Services, Health, and Development (OSSHD) in enhancing GBV services in Debre Markos Town; the Union of Ethiopian Women and Children Associations (UEWCA) for a project delivering essential response services for GBV survivors in West Gojam and South Gondar zones, and Women Empowerment-Action (WE-Action), a national NGO leading a 12- month initiative in East and West Gojam zones. In Oromia Region, SOS SAHEL Ethiopia is implementing a year-long GBV response project in East and Horo Gudru Wollega zones; and in Benishangul-Gumz Region, EHF is partnering with Action Against Hunger (AAH) to implement a 10-month project focused on GBV prevention and response.

FORECAST (13 Dec 2024)

At least US$812 million is required to implement prioritized life-saving operations until the end of 2024 and to secure pipelines until February 2025

The 2024 Ethiopia humanitarian appeal of US$3.24 billion has received $1.59 billion as of November 2024, including $745 million in new funding (23 per cent of requirements), carried over relief food resources from 2023 valued at $585 million, and $264 million worth of relief food made available by the Government of Ethiopia. The food and multi-purpose cash sectors are the highest funded at 62 per cent each, followed by nutrition (58 per cent) and Mine Action (45 per cent); while Agriculture (8 per cent), Camp Coordination and Management (11 per cent), Protection (13 per cent), including GBV (11 per cent) are amongst the least funded.

Of the 15.5 million people targeted for assistance in 2024 (4) (10.4 million of whom targeted for food assistance), 10.2 million people were “reached” with at least one type of humanitarian assistance up to 30 October, albeit with significant compromises made to accommodate the limited resources, including a cut in food ration since July. Activities have been implemented across at least 778 woredas (of 1,132 targeted). Responses mainly focused on addressing the needs of populations reeling from the 2023 El Nino drought in highland areas; the needs of populations displaced by conflict and violence; as well as respond to the multitude of disease outbreaks.

Additional funding is urgently needed for life-saving operations to continue. According to the recently published Ethiopia Priority Humanitarian Response and Critical Funding Gaps (5) document – the third iteration published this year - at least $812 million is required to implement prioritized life-saving operations until the end of 2024 and secure relief pipelines until February 2025.

Prioritized activities include anticipatory action to mitigate the impact of the projected La Niña-induced drought due to poor October-December rains in the lowlands of eastern and south-eastern Ethiopia ($363 million); continued support to the Government of Ethiopia’s National Cholera Elimination Plan (NCP) to curb the spread of the cholera outbreak raging since August 2022 – the longest outbreak on record ($14.7 million); prepare for potential new displacements resulting from natural and man-made emergencies ($17.8 million); maintain critical pipelines and support vulnerable communities through February 2025 ($267.3 million); and $149.3 million allocated for other critical sectoral gaps.

A joint Government and humanitarian partners’ Call for Anticipatory Action was released earlier in October 2024, to mobilize timely response to mitigate the impact of the projected La Niña-induced drought affecting agro-pastoralist and pastoralists in Oromia, Somali and South Ethiopia regions. The forecasted drought will exacerbate already dire conditions as communities are still recovering from the impact of the 2020-2022 drought - the worst in recent history.

The United Nations has allocated $17 million - $10 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and $7 million from the Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund (EHF). Donors are called on to urgently mobilize new support. Evidence from past droughts highlights the critical role of early intervention. FAO research has found that for every $1 invested in anticipatory action, households gain as much as $7 in benefits and loss protection.

Humanitarian partners continue to spotlight the dire needs across the country and call for additional funding to address needs and mitigate impacts. To this end, on 8 November, an OCHA-organized ambassadors’ mission visited Shabelle Zone of Somali Region, focusing on ongoing drought anticipatory action activities such as the Ilan Animal Health Post, which aims to treat and vaccinate nearly 6,000 animals with support from FAO, and the regional livestock forage warehouse in Gode City. Shabelle Zone is a leading producer of improved forage in the Somali Region. The mission – which comprised representations from Canada, Denmark, the European Union, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, New Zealand and USAID - also stopped by the Biraleys and Ilan communities to engage with internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host community members, and visited the Biraleys Haffir dam project, and the Health Posts supported by UNICEF.