NEWS
Nutritional Situation Slightly Improved
Since August But Still Nearly 3,000 Severely Malnourished Children In TFCs
Countrywide
The highest number of malnourished children residing in therapeutic feeding cent-res is still found in SNNPR in particular in Sidama and Wolayita Zones.
Food Security Prospect Of East Wellega Zone Not Promising
Apparently 24,217 animals died from May to August. Many cattle are still weak and emaciated and more cattle deaths are anticipated in the coming weeks.
WFP's Food Aid Use And Impact Survey Under Way In 6 Regions
WFP's Food Aid Use and Impact Survey started on Friday 26 September. The survey will cover 6 regions, visit around 380 communities and interview more than 3,700 households over one month.
World Vision Ethiopia Winds Up Water Trucking Operations in Afar
WV distributed 35,460 cubic metres of water up to 31 August 2003 and the water trucking service benefited more than 20,000 people for more than a year.
German Agro Action Implements Emergency Seed Supply Program In Amhara
German Agro Action distributed 850 tonnes of certified chickpea-seeds to 40,000 households in Ibnat, and East and West Belessa in August and September.
Innovative Approaches to Emergency Response
Alternative solutions to improve Coordination and emergency action in Ethiopia
Business as usual for coordination and response mechanisms would not have been enough to meet the needs of the 13.2 million affected people in the country. The nutrition and health emergency, has required large investments in non-food resources in addition to basic food aid, which have been critical to save lives and alleviate suffering. These efforts have been necessary because of the severity of the present crisis and to ensure that health, agriculture and water activities reach the masses similarly to food aid. Coordination has been strengthened and the government, United Nations, donor and NGO community have united as never before to more effectively attack the complex outcomes associated with the emergency. Innovative approaches have improved targeting (for example with community-based therapeutic care), supported market solutions (seed fairs) and increased self-reliance solutions (through cash for relief and seed vouchers). We are definitely still on the cusp of a major health crisis and millions are still expected to need aid in 2004, but improvements in the humanitarian response will undoubtedly help save lives and livelihoods and ease the transition to longer-term development.
Coordination Mechanisms Stronger At All Levels
Humanitarian actors have joined forces and significantly strengthened and expanded coordination mechanisms within Ethiopia at all levels. Food and non-food taskforces were reactivated and new ones formed for health/nutrition, agriculture/livestock and water/sanitation sectors. These emergency taskforces meet regularly pulling together focal points from the government, NGO and donor community and United Nations greatly improving planning and management of emergency activities for the present crisis.
At the federal level, the Emergency Nutrition Coordination Unit (ENCU), formed after the 2000 crisis, was tested during the current emergency. The formation of the ENCU has allowed the establishment of standard methodologies (cluster sampling) and the coordination and comparison of nutrition surveys. The ENCU chairs a monthly "Multi-agency Nutrition Taskforce Meeting" with various participants from the humanitarian community where all nutrition surveys are presented and critically evaluated and if sufficient then accepted by the Unit. Dr. Girma, a health expert from UNICEF seconded to DPPC and chairing the ENCU notes that the Unit has had "substantial impact during this emergency, making the response easier for decision makers and allowing donors to fund on the basis of nutritional surveys. In the past emergency, the process was subjective and difficult and duplication was a waste of efforts."
An Emergency Malaria Taskforce, a sub group of the existing Malaria Country Support Team (MCST) was activated at the Ministry of Health due to the current threat of a malaria epidemic in the country. Task force members in addition to members of the MCST are to meet on 7th October in the Ministry of Health to review the available information on the scope of the emergency, discuss appropriate strategies to address the emergency, map partners' areas of activity and potential response and identification of key gaps. Meanwhile, a group of experts drawn from the Ministry of Health, UNICEF, WHO and USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), meet on a weekly basis. They are currently compiling information on antimalarial drug availability and supply, on available epidemiological data from 4 regions, assessing mosquito nets availability and distribution plans and identifying mechanisms for collaboration between the Regional Health Bureaus and NGOs to enable a rapid response. An international epidemiologist is scheduled to arrive mid-October to assist with quantitative assessment of the epidemic and with the health and nutrition assessment exercise for the 2004 appeal.
In response to the grave and complex situation in Southern Nations and Nationality People's Region (SNNPR), a regular bi-monthly "Regional Emergency Partners' Coordination Forum", chaired by the Head of the regional Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Office (DPPO) was initiated. The federal level taskforces were emulated at regional level in the same four sectors: for food, health/nutrition, agriculture/livestock and water/sanitation sectors to undertake emergency related tasks in their respective specialized operations. All taskforces are chaired by the Heads of their respective Bureaus except the Food and Logistics taskforce, which is chaired by the Head of DPPO.
At Zonal and Special Woreda levels, regular Zonal/Special Woreda Partners' Emergency Coordination Forum meetings are held bimonthly and chaired by the Heads of the Rural Development Coordination Main Departments. Participants in these meetings are relevant government line departments and desks, all NGOs operating in the respective zones, and UN agencies. Minutes of the meetings are distributed to the participants, and also reach the region and woreda levels.
As a result of the consolidated efforts of all participating partners at the regional and zonal levels in SNNPR, significant improvements have been achieved in the institutionalisation of effective coordination, enhanced information exchange and strengthening decision-making capacities. From the meetings, partners were enabled to formulate action plans on key problems identified and move forward to meet needs. To better support the government in its efforts to meet the crisis in SNNPR, the United Nations Country Team opened a Support Office in Awassa. This office has proved invaluable in providing extra capacity to help manage the overwhelming needs in the region.
It is worthwhile notice that the enhanced UN Staff deployment and presence has created a new awareness at zonal and woreda levels, with involvement of the rural administrative staff in local assessment of the emergency situation allowing the development of zonal Emergency Plans of Action for Health, Nutrition, Water and HIV/AIDS.
Although these coordination mechanisms were enhanced in the south, efforts could be emulated if necessary in other geographic areas of major concern.
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