Ethiopia - Situation Report, 18 Jan 2023

Highlights

• 68 per cent of targeted beneficiaries for Round 2 food assistance across Tigray were reached as of 4 January.

• Malnutrition levels are alarmingly high in areas in Amhara affected by the northern Ethiopia conflict; global acute malnutrition rate in North Wollo and Wag Hamra above the emergency threshold.

• Insecurities in Oromia continues to displace civilians within the region and across the border into Amhara; several hundred displaced people registered in Debre Birhan over the past two weeks alone.

• In Afar, the second batch of returnees, 534 IDPs in total, were supported to return to their areas of origin in Zones 2 and 4 on 4 January; 4,414 IDPs remaining to return by end January.

• West Arsi became the latest zone to report a cholera case; 891 cholera cases were reported across the ten affected woredas in Oromia and Somali regions as of 12 January.

Situation Overview

Humanitarian partners continue to mobilize resources to scale up the humanitarian response in northern Ethiopia and elsewhere in the country, prioritizing the most urgent needs. As access continues to improve, convoys of humanitarian supplies and staff are regularly arriving in Tigray Region through all corridors, including by air. More than 105,000 metric tons of food and more than 14,000 metric tons of non-food supplies have been dispatched to the region by the Government of Ethiopia and humanitarian partners between mid-November (when convoy movement resumed) and 12 January. Operational fuel and cash are also being delivered to the region with no restriction, improving the work of humanitarian actors.

Onwards distribution of the supplies to affected communities is also ongoing where possible. Meanwhile, suggestions to fully lift travel restrictions to hard-to-reach areas such as Adiet, Asgede, Hitsats, Neadier, Mai-Tsebri/Tselemti and Zana, where humanitarian conditions are dire, is being explored. However, some partners have already started humanitarian operations in some of these areas, including Asgede and Zana, as well as in Shiraro and Tahitay Adiabo following security and access assessments in early January.

Of 5.4 million people targeted for Round 2 food assistance across the region, partners have reached 3.7 million people (68 per cent of target) as of 4 January. Of those reached, 101,000 are recent IDPs, displaced since late August 2022. Recently accessed Tsimbla Woreda received 894.087MT of food targeting close to 53,000 individuals, while Endabaguna Woreda, also recently accessed, received 353.322MT of food targeting close to 21,000 people. Distribution of these recent dispatches will start in the second week of January. The Government of Ethiopia has conducted a one-off relief food distribution in Central, North-western and Southern zones. While distribution of Round 2 food ration is being completed, Round 3 food distribution was launched on 30 December in Mekelle, and more than 381,600 people (18 per cent of targeted) were reached as of 4 January.

The population’s access to basic services is also improving with telecommunication lines and water supply systems continuing to be restored in more areas and public and private banks resuming services. Routine vaccination is ongoing in health facilities in Mekelle and in some accessible woredas, while the Government and health partners are distributing medical supplies and bed nets to various health facilities.

Despite these significantly positive developments, some communities have yet to receive assistance. In places such as Hitsats for example, IDPs have not received food for at least three months, while health and WaSH services are lacking, putting the population at high risk of morbidity and mortality. Preparation is underway to conduct a region-wide, multi-sector Meher needs assessment, which will reveal the extent of the humanitarian needs in the region.

In Amhara Region, malnutrition levels are alarmingly high in conflict-affected zones. Latest nutrition data (as of end December) indicated that global acute malnutrition (GAM) rate in North Wollo and Wag Hamra zones is above the emergency threshold at 15.7 per cent and 18 per cent respectively. Meanwhile, GAM rates in North Gondar and South Wollo zones are also high standing at 13.6 per cent and 12.7 per cent respectively. Overall, of 3.2 million children under-5 screened for acute malnutrition, more than 31,500 were severely malnourished and more than 217,300 were moderately malnourished as of end December. Lack of food, shortage of nutrition supplies and lack of nutrition services contributed to the high malnutrition rates. The rapid nutrition assessment report conducted by the regional Nutrition Cluster will be published soon and will guide scale up of intervention in affected areas.

The need for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) intervention is also high in IDP and returnee sites across the region. Despite the high needs, funding shortages in limiting response in returnee sites in North Gondar, Raya Kobo and Wag Hamra zones as well as in Jara IDP site. At present, WASH partners are supporting some 45, 000 people through water trucking activities in Jara, Turkish, Weleh, Tirki, Debre Birhan, Kebero Meda, Golmasa IDP sites and in Adi Arekay Woreda.

A joint comprehensive gender-based violence (GBV) assessment conducted in selected areas of North Gondar, North Wollo and Wag Hamra zones as well as in Debre Birhan Town from 1 to 31 December has revealed high GBV concerns. The assessment result is being used to develop data driven GBV prevention and response programming. Similarly, according to the Central Gondar Department of Women, Children and Social Affairs (WCSA), there is rising GBV concerns amongst IDPs and returnees due to widespread child marriages in the zone as one coping mechanism for vulnerable households. In addition, these communities have limited to no access to health and protection services. Non-food items such as dignity kits, sanitary materials and clothes are also in high demand.

Meanwhile, ongoing insecurities in Oromia Region continues to displace civilians within the region and across the border into Amhara Region, with several hundred displaced people (IDPs) registered in Debre Birhan over the past two weeks alone. Voluntary relocation of the IDPs to sites continues. At least 13,000 IDPs from various sites in North Wollo Zone, including the recent IDPs from Oromia, are targeted for relocation to Jara Site, also in North Wollo. While some essential services such as mobile health and nutrition teams, water trucking and Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) activities have resumed, there remains a huge gap in shelter maintenance, hygiene and sanitation activities, food response, and protection in Jara Site. Funding shortages for transporting the IDPs is also highlighted as an operational challenge.

In Afar Region, food assistance remains overall inadequate. More than 100,400 people (21 per cent of target) have received assistance under Round 5 relief food distribution. Multi-purpose cash support schemes are being explored to ensure food security amongst vulnerable households and increase reach. Similarly, shelter support for IDPs is ongoing but still inadequate due to limited funding, lack of local shelter materials and other operational challenges. In a slow yet steady progress, more than 79,000 households have received shelter assistance to date, while shelter rehabilitation is ongoing for an additional 1,994 households. Overall, more than 137,000 people in return areas are yet to receive shelter assistance. Some areas in Berhale, Dalol and Kunneba woredas (Zone 2) remained inaccessible as of 4 January owing to insecurity and lack of roads.

Meanwhile, the return of IDPs living with host communities in and around Semera to Zones 2 and 4 continues. On 4 January, the second batch of returnees, 534 IDPs in total, were supported to return to their areas of origin, leaving 4,414 IDPs remaining to return by end January.

The security situation in Oromia Region remains highly volatile with devastating humanitarian consequences. Hundreds of thousands of people continue to be uprooted from their homestead in western Oromia, including across the border to Amhara Region as mentioned above. The displaced people largely remain without assistance due to access challenges. In addition, resumed inter-communal violence between bordering woredas of Sidama Region and Guji zone of Oromia Region uprooted more than 5000 people over the past three weeks. The IDPs are living in deplorable condition without adequate shelter. A joint security and access assessment mission is planned in western Oromia from 16 to 24 January.

Malnutrition levels across the region have been increasing over the last five years due to drought and conflict. Admissions of severe acute malnutrition rates in Arsi, Bale, Borena, East Bale, Guji and West Guji zones have increased by more than 40 per cent in the first week of January compared to November last year. Food and nutrition supports are ongoing.

In eastern and southern Ethiopia, the drought impact is expected to further worsen after January 2023, particularly across the two southern zones of Dawa and Liban, Somali Region. Similar severe drought conditions in northern Kenya are expected to lead to large influx of livestock across the border to Dawa and Liban zones potentially creating competition over scarce water and pasture resources. In Shabelle Zone, total harvest loss is reported, while livestock are lost, and surviving animals are emaciated. Meanwhile, insect infestations, the high price of farm inputs and the high price of fuel, among others, are highly damaging irrigation crop production in the zone. Similarly, conditions are deteriorating across the ten drought-affected woredas of Oromia Region with severe water shortage reported. Only 17 of 213 water trucks required are providing water support.

Some of the drought-affected areas continue to also suffer from a cholera outbreak. In Oromia, West Arsi became the latest zone to report a case. As of 12 January, 891 cholera cases were reported across eight woredas in Bale, Guji and West Arsi zones of Oromia Region and two woredas in Liban Zone of Somali Region. The caseload of affected people has increased by 29 per cent in the last month. Close to 1 million people are at risk in the 10 affected woredas. The Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), the Oromia and Somali Regional Health Bureaus (RHBs), the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and partners have continued supporting the scale-up of health and WASH activities in priority areas, with a particular focus on IDPs sites. A US$4 million Central Emergency Response Fund – CERF allocation has recently been approved to WHO and UNICEF to respond to the crisis.