Ethiopia Weekly Humanitarian Bulletin, 29 May 2017

Key Issues

• Improved spring rains in most drought-affected areas have improved pasture and water availability for human and livestock.

• The Food Cluster is projecting that all available relief food stock will be depleted by the end of June, leaving at least 7.78 million people without food assistance post-June.

• The Ethiopia Humanitarian Country Team endorsed the timeline for the roll out of the Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) strategy on 26 May.

Following poor performing spring rains, the number of people receiving humanitarian assistance has increased from 5.6 million to 7.78 million in the first quarter of the year, and is expected to heighten further in the second half of the year. Increased funding is needed urgently, in particular to address immediate requirements for food and nutrition, as well as clean drinking water, much of which is being delivered long distances by truck as regular wells have dried up.

Improved rains bringing respite for water availability in drought-affected regions

The Early Warning Unit of East Hararge Zone Disaster Risk Management Office in Oromia region reported that all 20 woredas/districts of the zone received low to heavy spring rains with good coverage in the second half of May. This is expected to improve pasture and water availability for human and livestock. However, the improved rainfall performance did not significantly impact belg season agriculture performance, which stood at only 55 per cent in East Hararge zone and 20 per cent in West Hararge zone.

Similarly, following late and erratic rainfall, most spring-benefitting areas in Amhara region received good amounts of rain since the third week of April. The April rains favored planting of long cycle crops in the eastern parts of the region. Out of the planned arable land, nearly 84 per cent was planted mostly with barely, wheat and pulse crops. The late planting will likely push the harvesting time. In Somali region, most woredas of Jarar zone received good rains according to the Zonal Early Warning coordinator. The rains have brought improvements in water availability for people and livestock as well as pasture for animals. In Afar region however, pasture and water resources remain depleted due to the poor performance of spring rains to date.

Food pipeline break projected for end June

The Food Cluster is projecting that all available relief food stock will be depleted by the end of June, leaving at least 7.78 million people without food assistance post-June. Given the deteriorating food security situation in the current drought belt, the cluster has been assisting additional people from the original plan putting further strain on the limited resources. New funding is needed urgently to address immediate requirements for relief food, which has a procurement and transportation lead time of three months. At present, WFP is working with donors to roll out expanded cash transfers in areas where there is food in markets.

The food pipeline break comes at a time when the country enters the July-September lean season and when rising malnutrition rates are being reported especially in Somali region.

EHCT endorses the timeline for the roll out of the PSEA strategy

The Ethiopia Humanitarian Country Team endorsed the timeline for the roll out of the Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) strategy on 26 May. The strategy was developed in response to the Secretary-General’s initiative to take remedial and preventive measures to address sexual exploitation and abuse of beneficiaries by UN peacekeepers and other UN personnel. In Ethiopia, a PSEA Network will coordinate and oversee action to prevent and respond to sexual abuse and exploitation of community members by international and national staff of the UN or affiliated organisations.

The Ethiopia PSEA Network is built around three objectives, including 1/ engaging with local populations so they are both aware of their rights and entitlements and safe, accessible and confidential complaint mechanisms are in place, 2/ ensuring UN agencies and affiliate organisations take steps to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse 3/ supporting UN agencies and affiliate organisations to report and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse.

The Humanitarian Coordinator and Heads of United Nations agencies will be responsible for its implementation. For further information, contact: ocha-eth@un.org