United Nations Nations Unies Office for the Coordination of Bureau de Coordination des Humanitarian Affairs in Ethiopia Affaires Humanitaires au Ethiopie Website: Website: http://ochaonline.un.org/ethiopia http://ochaonline.un.org/ethiopia

SITUATION REPORT: DROUGHT/FOOD CRISIS IN ETHIOPIA – 20th JUNE 2008 Highlights:

ƒ Humanitarian Coordinator to ask Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for US$20 million to resource live-saving emergency interventions. ƒ More than 15,000 children are receiving treatment in Therapeutic Feeding Centres (TFC) in SNNPR and Oromiya Region. ƒ WFP faces break in the relief pipeline. ƒ UNICEF expects the delivery of 37 metric tonnes of F-75 therapeutic milk in addition to drugs including; amoxicillin, chlorhexidine, methylros, mebendazole, nystastin in the coming week. ƒ UNICEF Deputy Executive Director arrives in Ethiopia to assess the humanitarian situation and meet with Government, UN Agencies, donors and NGO partners.

1

Situation Update

Government, UN Agencies and NGO partners continue to respond to the food and drought crisis in Ethiopia but require additional funds to resource life-saving interventions. Following the launch of the Revised 2008 Humanitarian Requirements document by government on 12th June 2008 the Humanitarian Coordinator has requested additional resources from the CERF for emergency life-saving interventions. On the 18th June, the Government of Norway announced its decision to allocate approximately US$ 4.8 million in response to the humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia. Donor agencies are considering the requirements for Food Aid, Health and Nutrition, Water and Sanitation and Agriculture outlined in the document.

In addition to the existing hotspot areas in SNNPR and Oromiya Region, humanitarian partners report that the food security situation in Afar, Amhara and Somali Regions is quickly deteriorating and requires immediate preventative interventions.

ƒ OCHA field reports from Amhara indicate that hotspot belg dependant areas in Legambo, Saynt and Dessie Zuria in South Wollo zone and Gidan, Gubalafto, Wadla and Delanta woredas in North Wollo zone are already in the grips of an emerging crisis with regard to food security and malnutrition. ƒ SAVE-UK conducted a rapid nutrition survey, between the 7th and 8th June, of 103 children in Gidan with preliminary findings, not endorsed as of yet by the Emergency Nutrition Coordination Unit (ENCU), as follows: GAM 22.5% and SAM 2.3%. ƒ In Somali Region, humanitarian partners report the continued deterioration of food security situation following the near total failure of seasonal rains. The situation in the five military operation zones is further exacerbated by the impact of limited movement of commodities, people and livestock. ƒ There is an urgent need for increased access to vulnerable communities by humanitarian actors with expertise in the area of nutrition to avert further deterioration of the situation. ƒ The Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, Ms. Hilde Johnson, arrived in Ethiopia to review the emergency situation in drought-affected areas on the 19th June. Ms. Johnson will travel to hotspot woredas in the southern part of the country and will meet with Government, UN partners, donors and NGOs involved in the humanitarian response to the emergency.

Health and Nutrition

The nutrition crisis continues to escalate despite the concerted efforts of government and humanitarian partners to respond to the treatment needs of children. The Emergency Nutrition Coordination Unit, together with the Multi-Agency Nutrition Task Force (MANTF) including NGO partners, estimates that a total of 9,657 children are currently receiving Therapeutic 2

Feeding Programme (TFP) services through government or NGO facilities in SNNPR – in Sidama, Wolayta, Hadiya, Kembata Tembaro zones and Alaba. In Oromiya, approximately 6,304 children are currently receiving TFP services.

In addition to ongoing treatment of children suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), Government and humanitarian partners are coordinating rapid nutrition assessments in hotspot areas. The Emergency Nutrition Coordination Unit (ENCU) is consolidating the findings of joint rapid nutrition assessments and the initial reports submitted by NGOs indicate that the situation is critical in East Badawacho in Hadiya Zone, Damot Pulasa in Wolayta Zone and Bona in Sidama Zone and serious in Dugna Fagno, Kindo Koisha and Boloso Bombe woredas of Wolayta Zone, Boricha, Dale, Wensho and Aleta Wondo woredas in Sidama Zone and Moyale and Dhas woredas of Borena Zone. In East Badawocho GAM rates reported to be 15.9% with SAM 3.5% with (2.2% oedema) and reports from recent full nutrition survey conducted in Damot Pulaso recorded GAM 16.7% and SAM 2.9%. The table below draws together information from full nutrition assessments conducted in Boricha and Dugna Fagno and illustrates the trajectory of development of the crisis in these particular woredas.

Woreda Date GAM SAM Level Boricha 26/02/07 – 02/03/07 8.2% (6.2 – 10.2) 0.2% (0.0 – 0.4) Poor 03/03/08 – 08/03/08 10.3% (8.1- 12.5) 0.5% (0.0 – 0.9) Serious 18/04/08 – 23/04/08 19.5% (15.9-23.1) 3.2% (1.8 – 4.6) Critical Dugna Fango 04/06/07 – 09/07/07 2.2 % (0.6 – 3.8) 0.2 (0.0 – 0.5) Normal 27/03/08 – 02/04/08 12.5% (9.1-16.0) 1.4 (0.3 – 2.6) Serious

In addition to the 772 metric tonnes of Plumpy’Nut announced last week, UNICEF expects the delivery of 37 metric tonnes of F75 therapeutic milk, as well as drugs for Therapeutic Feeding Centres (TFC) including: amoxicillin, chlorhexidine, methylros, mebendazole, nystastin etc.

According to reports from the Federal Ministry of Health, new cases of AWD have been recorded in Ankesha, Guagusa and Takusa woredas in Amhara. No new cases of AWD have been reported from SNNPR, Oromiya and Somali regions.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

WASH and nutrition partners are working together to minimise the risk of outbreak of Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD) in areas where there is a high concentration of severely malnourished children. During the coming weeks, an increased focus will be put on enhancing WASH services in TFCs to prevent outbreaks of water-borne diseases. The first component relates to increasing access and quality of the water available to children and women in the centres. The strategy is to rehabilitate existing water schemes, and water tankering as a last resort. Hygiene and sanitation are part of the second component, with focus on hand washing and water treatment.

3

International Rescue Committee (IRC) is conducting an assessment of existing water and sanitation services in hotpot woredas in Wolayta Zone.

Food Aid

The amount of food coming into the country between June and August will not cover the needs of people affected by the crisis. WFP report a break in the relief and PSNP pipelines in spite of the arrival of some shipments between June and August. The price of everyday commodities is beyond the means of many of those affected by the current crisis with the local price of cereals far outstripping prices on the global market. According to WFP, the local price of wheat is US$ 605/mt compared to the import price of US$ 355/ mt.

WFP continues to explore every avenue to secure the necessary resources to respond to the food requirements of affected communities. WFP has requested 40,000 mt of cereals from the emergency food security reserve administration (EFSRA). The loan from EFSRA will enable WFP to cover the emergency relief requirements of people during the month of June.

Shortfalls: The total 2008 shortfall for relief, PSNP and TSF programmes amounts to a minimum of 318,000 mt or some US$ 300 million. The total relief requirements for 4.6 million beneficiaries identified as requiring emergency assistance in the revised 2008 Humanitarian Requirements document amount to 391,000 mt of mixed commodities. Considering available resources, the current WFP shortfall against the national relief pipeline amounts to 263,000 mt (valued at US$ 210 million). In addition to the 4.6 million beneficiaries, assistance is required for 5.7 million people living in drought-affected woredas covered by PSNP1. PSNP shortfalls amount to some 90,000 mt of cereals valued at US$ 72 million for food assistance covering period of three months. The Targeted Supplementary Feeding Programme currently faces shortfall of some 17,000 mt valued at US$ 18 million.

WFP response (for relief) to date: In Somali region, an amount of 29,670 mt has been allocated to 1,025,030 beneficiaries during January to June 2008. Some 23,142 mt has been dispatched from this allocation, and 7,951 mt distributed to beneficiaries (out of the 10,907 mt which was reported delivered to the FDPs). To date, during January to June 2008, in SNNPR, a total of 34,170 mt has been allocated to 1,060,770 beneficiaries. Some 29,612 mt has been dispatched. In Oromiya, a total of 13,666 mt has been allocated to 435,369 beneficiaries, and some 10,642 mt has been dispatched. To date, during January to June 2008, a total of 5,703 mt has been allocated to some 194,712 beneficiaries in the regions of Afar, Amhara, Benshangul Gumuz, Gambella and Tigray, and a total of 4,326 mt has been dispatched to these areas.

1 The PSNP is a development-oriented programme, which provides some 7.5 million chronically food-insecure people with cash or food transfers to enhance their ability to participate in the development process. Beneficiary households mainly participate in community public works, although a limited number of households (disabled, elderly, etc) receive direct transfers. 4

Agriculture and Livestock

FAO is working in conjunction with NGO partners to respond to the immediate needs of affected communities and optimise conditions for early recovery in the coming months. FAO and NGO partners are distributing seeds to farmers for crop plantation in SNNPR as part of a comprehensive drive towards supporting early recovery and food security of communities.

Emergency Appeals

ƒ On 17th June, CONCERN Worldwide launched appeal for US$ 2 million to resource the rapid upscale operations in Ethiopia. More information is available at: http://www.concern.net/news-and-features/world-news/a1000222/Ethiopian-emergency- appeal-launched.html.

ƒ On the 18th June, Save the Children UK launched an appeal for US$20 million to assist 900,000 people, including 335,000 children. More information about the SCUK Appeal can be found at: http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/en/41_5931.htm.

Fidele Sarasso [email protected] Humanitarian Coordinator Tel.: 251-11-5444483 Vincent Lelei [email protected] Head of Office, OCHA Tel.: 251-11-5444248 Gregory Beals [email protected] Senior Information Officer, OCHA Tel.: 251-11-5444162

5