FOCUS ON ETHIOPIA PAGE 1 (January-March) and with the poor gu rain forecast of the THIS ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS: National Metrological Services. Worrying indications of an • REGIONAL OVERVIEW escalating emergency such as increasing mortality of • AVIAN INFLUENZA IN ETHIOPIA livestock, malnutrition, and sky-rocketing prices of staple • RELIEF FOOD AND NON-FOOD UPDATE food prevail. The situation has forced significant numbers of • UPCOMING & ONGOING MEETINGS people to resort to extreme distress strategies of street begging, over-selling of basic assets, slaughtering of weak Focus on Ethiopia is produced by UN Office for the animals and killing of calves to cope up with the disaster. Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in The closure of local schools following the low attendance collaboration with other UN agencies and partner NGOs. rate is another social consequence of the drought. Wild Focus on Ethiopia provides a monthly overview of animals are violently attacking people and livestock in parts humanitarian trends and activities in Ethiopia, as well as of Gode and Korahe. This is triggered by the competition focusing on particular issues of interest. Send comments, for the scarce water and other resources. suggestions and contributions to
[email protected] The livestock situation particularly in the three zones (Afder, Liben and Gode) is critical. Massive cattle deaths REGIONAL OVERVIEW are reported from the three woredas. The death of 35,000 and 45,000 livestock is reported in Liben and Afder zones SOMALI respectively. A serious shortage of feed and water coupled Of the identified 1.7 million beneficiaries in the critically with increasing outbreaks of animal disease are causing affected pastoral and agro-pastoral areas of the country, the deaths.