UNICEF Emergency Programmes: Ethiopia Donor Update 28 Aug 2000

1. EMERGENCY OVERVIEW AND RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
Ethiopia continues to face a major humanitarian crisis.

With signs of some stabilisation occurring in the worst drought affected areas of the country and encouraging moves to peace following the two year conflict with Eritrea, greater opportunities to assist drought- and conflict- affected populations are now appearing. However, supporting drought recovery and conflict rehabilitation will continue to place considerable demands on the capacities and resources of UNICEF and other aid actors in the coming months.

The drought crisis affecting eastern and southern Ethiopia continues to require a concerted response by government, NGOs and UN agencies to stabilize population migrations, reduce the spread of disease and ensure effective and timely relief distribution mechanisms. Populations most at risk are in Somali region, particularly Shinile, Jijiga, Fik, Degehabur, Gode and Afder zones. Elsewhere, serious concern exists for drought affected populations in Borena and Bale zones of southern Oromiya, Konso, South Omo and North Omo areas of (Southern Nations and Nationalities Peoples’ Region (SNNPR) and other more traditional food deficit parts of the country including Amhara and Tigray regions.

In the north, the two year conflict with Eritrea appears to have ended with the agreement of both countries to a cease-fire in June. There were few displacements within Tigray and Afar region as a consequence of the latest round of fighting. The main concern at this stage is how to effectively support an estimated 300,000 people in moving back safely to their home areas, many of which have been damaged by the conflict or contaminated by land mines and unexploded ordnance

On 7 June, the UN Country Team released a revised appeal covering priority drought assistance requirements for the rest of 2000 covering 5 countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Eritrea, Somalia and Djibouti) for around 13,400,000 people seriously affected by drought.

Ethiopia one of world's poorest countries, ranking 171 out of 174 in UNDP 2000 Development Index report.

The country has one of the world's highest levels of stunting among children due to under-nutrition (64%), low net primary school enrolment (24.9%), poor access to safe drinking water and inferior health care services. Diarrhoeal diseases account for 46% of child deaths in Ethiopia, and over 2 million cases of malaria are reported per year. The under-five mortality rate is 175 per 1,000 live births, and maternal mortality of 1,400 per 100,000 live births. Ethiopia has an increasing rate of HIV/AIDS infection with over 3.2 million cases reported. In a recent survey limited to Addis Ababa, 17% of pregnant women were found to be HIV positive. In conditions of extreme stress exacerbated by the current food shortages--that exceed normal patterns of drought and hardship--traditional coping mechanisms and safety nets have been seriously damaged. In some parts of Somali region, 50% global malnutrition rates have been surveyed, indicative of the severity of the situation as cattle and sheep die, livestock prices plummet and reliance on relief food soars—where there is not enough food. Though the overall government and donor response to food aid needs appears increasingly met, timely delivery to populations at risk remains a major challenge, influenced by complicated logistics. Child mortality remains extremely high in Gode and Fik zones; irregular access and poor monitoring systems make quantification of mortality data very difficult.

Current food security for women and children at its worst since 1980s

Unlike the 1980s drought, the current drought has affected the pastoral areas, in addition to the agricultural areas. In the pastoral and agro-pastoral areas of southern and eastern Ethiopia, the late arrival of the main gu rains resulted in high livestock losses and weakening of herds. In Gode zone, over 90% of the cattle have probably died since November. In Borena, over 50% of cattle have reportedly died. In central and northern parts of the country, many areas have been caught in the prolonged after-effects of the poor belg (short rains) season, which disrupted the normal farming cycle and resulted in delayed planting of main meher season crops.

Presently keremt (long) rains are falling in most highland areas. However, in the eastern and southern parts of the country, no rains are expected until September. While the progress of food distribution in these hard hit drought areas has lately shown signs of improvement, these are but tentative indicators. A UNICEF funded measles/Vitamin A campaign has begun in south-eastern Ethiopia. The campaign will target approximately 2.4 million children under five in all drought affected regions. Success in this area (a target 95% coverage has been set) will make a key difference in addressing and reducing child mortality, which has been high especially in Somali region.

II. UNICEF RESPONSE: ACTIVITIES, ACHIEVEMENTS, AND CONSTRAINTS

UNICEF priorities: Meeting immediate needs for therapeutic feeding, water supply and basic emergency especially health essential drugs, ORS (Oral Rehydration Salt) and high protein biscuits, and field staff.

Supplementary food has been provided for some 4,000 children in feeding centres in Gode (Somali region) in collaboration with Save the Children US, the Ogaden Welfare Society and other NGOs, and the zonal health authorities. More than 500,000 sachets of ORS and essential drug stocks to last six months have been provided for the most vulnerable in Somali and Oromiya regions. Additional stocks of essential drugs, especially for children, are being pre-positioned in different regions. A special measles/Vitamin A campaign begun on June 23 in S. Omo with a target of one million children under five in Somali, southern Oromiya and South Omo zones of south-eastern Ethiopia. Water bladders, tanks and purification/testing equipment have been provided and water schemes rehabilitated to benefit some 391,000 people. Two sanitation campaigns have been carried out in Gode, where UNICEF has been upgrading the water distribution system and supporting the provision of water to the feeding centres and to villages around Gode by providing fuel for the operation of pumps. In Somali region UNICEF is engaged in rehabilitating traditional wells and providing spare parts for repair of existing water supply schemes. UNICEF is also providing technical assistance to the water bureau of the region together with logistical support for outreach in most remote areas. UNICEF has built on years’ of water interventions, particularly in Oromiya region where 81 water points have greatly reduced vulnerability and prevented massive population movement. Around 10,000 families received blankets and another 6,000 received plastic sheeting to be protected from harsh environmental conditions, thus reducing the susceptibility to pneumonia and related respiratory tract infections. UNICEF has expanded its field presence and outreach, including secondment of technical staff to health and water bureaux in five regions. A rapid assessment of Shinile area was conducted on June 18-20 with the involvement of health, water and sanitation (WES) and emergency unit staff of UNICEF in co-ordination with WFP, and the respective bureaux and NGOs. Interventions in the region include a nutrition survey, delivery of shelter materials, support to water tankering, immunisation, provision of ORS and essential drugs, and rehabilitation of water sources. UNICEF technical personnel are supporting emergency health and supplementary feeding activities in Somali region, as well as overall non-food assistance co-ordination and planning with local counterparts for Oromiya, Borena and Tigray regions.

UNICEF has initiated support to continuing primary school enrolment in drought-affected areas and has set-up temporary learning centres attached to feeding centres, with necessary educational supplies provided. In addition, educational supplies were provided for some 8,000 children in Somali region.

UNICEF and other humanitarian partners face several constraints related to inadequate transportation and logistics, plus the lack of infrastructure. Insecurity is also a serious constraint arising from sporadic clashes among clans, thus limiting movement and accessibility to certain areas.

Continuing provision of assistance to increasing numbers of IDPs.

During 1999, UNICEF Ethiopia provided emergency assistance for an estimated 315,000 displaced people in Tigray and 26,000 in Afar. In both areas, UNICEF staff are monitoring additional needs for both war displaced- and drought-affected populations. Many displaced live in makeshift shelters or in overcrowded conditions among the host community. Although Tigray region, where most of the displacements have occurred, benefits from a well organised human infrastructure, shortfalls in relief supply assistance, the extended circumstances of displacement and the widening impact of drought necessitate an ongoing level of emergency assistance. Emergency assistance has intentionally covered critical needs of host communities with limited basic services. At present, UNICEF has developed contingency plans in the event of new displacements caused by the conflict. The Netherlands pledged the equivalent of US$ 850,000 for displaced in Tigray and Afar regions. These funds will be used for on-going UNICEF water project, emergency education and nutrition assistance. However, lack of funding has been a key constraint in responding to the continuing needs of IDPs. In addition to some carry on activities funded through 1999 contributions, UNICEF has assisted 2,000 families with shelter materials in 2000. Emergency shelter materials have also been prepositioned in Mekelle. Together with the other concerned agencies, UNICEF is monitoring the return home of IDPs for which the authorities have been requesting support especially in the water and health sectors.

Planned 2000 emergency interventions for displaced and drought affected populations:

Health: Child immunization (measles and vitamin A), support to control of diarrhoeal diseases including provision of ORS, essential drugs for 2.5 million people in all affected regions, including antibiotics and intravenous fluids among drought affected population and, provision of treated bed nets to reduce transmission of malaria. Immunization campaign in the drought affected regions will pave the way for longer-term sustainability of immunization (EPI) by raising the technical capacity of health workers and strengthening the existing EPI infrastructure and by providing cold chain equipment and vehicles.

Nutrition: Target delivery of special therapeutic foods including high protein biscuits for drought-affected populations, and monitoring and provision of technical support to improve national and sub-national nutrition surveillance and response capacities. Currently a mapping exercise of nutritional facilities is on-going and standardized methods and surveillance systems will be introduced. UNICEF is to provide technical assistance to the early warning mechanism of the country, with a nutritionist/epidemiologist who will contribute to strengthen capacities and harmonize interventions.

Water and Environmental Sanitation: Support to water tankering for an initial time period, supply of jerry cans, construction of shallow wells, repair of hand-pumps and non-functional water schemes, limited drilling of bore holes where necessary, support to community hygiene education and environmental sanitation - all for drought affected and displaced populations.

Education: Provision of construction materials, benches and desks for temporary classrooms, teacher training, supply of clothing and learning materials including exercise books, pencils, chalk and black boards--altogether to benefit 120,000 drought- and war-affected children in Oromiya, Amhara, Tigray and SNNPR regions. Some 16 learning centres will be established attached to 8 feeding centres in Gode zone. Sanitation facilities will be provided in 50 schools for 15,000 students. These education activities will complement on-going activities for out-of-school children/adolescents and nomadic children (mobile schools in Borena zone now being introduced to some zones in Somali - 1 year plan).

Children and Women in Need of Special Protection: Continuing technical support and guidance to community-based joint land mine awareness education project in Tigray, implemented with a local NGO, targeting displaced families in areas contaminated by land mines. Support for 14,700 Ethiopian returnees from Eritrea in the Desse, South Wollo area who are unable to re-assimilate among heavily drought affected local communities including families living in streets and separated and unaccompanied children.

Relief and logistics, monitoring and co-ordination: Provision of shelter assistance including blankets and plastic sheeting for displaced populations, and support to airlift and road transport and communications. Deployment of field monitors to ensure effective targeting of non-food inputs, field co-ordination and overall monitoring of drought and displaced emergency interventions.

Constraints have included difficulties in working within an increasingly decentralised but still highly bureaucratic programme environment at national and sub-national levels. Weak information management and exchange on critical needs of women and children (especially in the drought areas) have been some major obstacles. Recently, UNICEF has undertaken a number of initiatives with government counterparts to bring greater efficiency and capacity in these critical areas.

III. APPEAL REQUIREMENTS AND RECEIPTS

Within the framework of the January 2000 UN Consolidated Appeal, UNICEF, in January, outlined a need of US$ 7,719,900 to meet urgent needs of conflict- and drought- affected populations. However, given the continuation and magnitude of the drought crisis, on June 7, the UN country Team in Ethiopia launched a Consolidated Appeal, in which UNICEF asked for US$ 8,557,085 to respond to the critical humanitarian needs of children and women, till the end of the year. The Table 1 below shows the funds required in each sector.

UNICEF’s emergency response in these areas is based on its core commitment to project interventions intended to give greater overall cohesion and predictability. These include support to EPI and malaria control, supply of therapeutic foods and support to nutritional surveillance, provision of shelter supplies, and provision of safe drinking water including water storage and purification. UNICEF is committed in all emergency situations to the continuous enrolment of children in school and rapid assessment and care of children and women in need of special protection. In addition, UNICEF Ethiopia needs US$ 2,810,500, apart from the drought Appeal, to meet the basic educational requirements for the drought-affected children.

APPEAL RESPONSE

In response to the January 2000 UN Country Team Appeal, the following contributions were received to support IDPs and drought affected populations:

In order to continue providing urgently needed assistance, UNICEF has been accorded a $4,000,000 loan from OCHA (CERF). One month after the launch of the consolidated drought Appeal (June 7), UNICEF has received a contribution from the Czech Republic Government of $30,000, plus the confirmed pledges listed below. As indicated by the Table 3 and graph below, France Natcom is the biggest contributor to the drought Appeal (covering 7% of the requirement) followed by United States (fulfilling 6% of the requirement).

* Funding level below US$ 50,000 appear as 0

IV. IMPACT OF UNDER-FUNDING

Immediate funding is key to prevent massive population movement through synchronized and timely activities across borders.

Funds received for the January-June Consolidated Appeal have enabled UNICEF to carry out a major mobilisation in programme and operational response to the drought disaster in south-eastern Ethiopia and also to the increasingly unstable situation of war displaced in the north. However, the requirements of the June-December appeal remain widely unmet and most resources that UNICEF is currently using remain linked to the CERF loan, totalling 4 million dollars. Quick response is key to preventing a wide scale famine. UNICEF has been able to pre-position basic limited supplies, however resources are urgently required to take ongoing activities to a scale that commensurate with the magnitude of the crisis.

Details of these projects can be provided upon request to:

Ibrahim Jabr
UNICEF Representative
Addis Ababa
Tel: 251-1-517648
Fax: 251-1-511628
ijabr@unicef.org

Robin Medforth-Mills
UNICEF EMOPS
Geneva
Tel: +41 22 909 5544
Fax: +41 22 909 5902
Email: rmmills@unicef.org

Dan Rohrmann
UNICEF PFO
New York
Tel: + 1 212 326 7009
Fax: + 1 212 326 7165
Email: drohrmann@unicef.org

For more information, visit the UNICEF web site at http://www.unicef.org/emerg