Drought Update The latest Disaster Risk Management and Food Security Sector (DRMFSS) Early Warning Bulletin forecasts dry and hot weather over the northern and northeastern parts of the country. Although delayed, much of Somali Region has recently received rains, alleviating water and pasture shortages to some extent. In Oromia, low and erratic rains have been received in East and West Harerghe, West Arsi and Arsi zones, while better rainfall was received in Borena, Guji and Bale zones (but not across all woredas). In SNNPR, poor rains have been received. In Amhara, East Belesa, Mirab Armacho and Quara woredas of North Gonder zone and Minjar Shenkora woreda of North Shewa zone have reported critical water shortages. In Afar, although a one-day shower was received in some locations of and woredas of Zone 2, water shortages persist. Accordingly, the regional response plan requests 40 trucks to be deployed to 10 affected woredas for two months, with , Kurri, Bidu and Erebti being the most critically affected. Partners continue to respond to the emergency needs resulting from the drought, prioritizing their activities according to the situation on the ground. With the ongoing rains, water trucking operations have been reduced in Somali (73 per cent), Oromia (40 per cent) and to some extent in SNNP regions. Although the rains are important for pasture regeneration and for increased access to water, the amount of relief they offer in drought-affected areas depends on the amount of water collected in water sources; replenishment is being closely monitored.

Given the likelihood of renewed dry conditions in the coming months, partners have been advised by the Cluster Lead to fill critical gaps in water trucking, focus on rehabilitation of boreholes and complete the development of strategic boreholes drilled under government programmes. In Somali Region, the four mobile maintenance teams are now being supported by four electrical technicians contracted by UNICEF. In Afar, DPFSO with UNICEF, APDA and FURDA (local NGOs) have assisted the deployment of eight trucks to Bidu, Kurri, Serdo and Elidar woredas. Three motorized schemes in Bidu, and Erebti and 12 shallow wells in , Erebti, , and Adaa’r woredas have been rehabilitated with UNICEF support. PCI will start water trucking with 14 trucks in Elidar, Kurri and Bidu woredas (Afar). An additional ETB2.1 million (US$125,000) has been secured by Pastoralist Community Development Project (PCDP, a local NGO) for water trucking purposes in yet to be specified locations. In Afar, in addition to ten plastic tanks with a capacity of 5,000 liters each to support the drought response and protect the population at risk of acute watery diarrhoea (AWD), UNICEF sent household and community level water treatment chemicals, jerry cans, buckets and soaps for the benefit of an estimated 44,600 people. For more information, contact: [email protected] & [email protected]

Nutrition Response Nutrition partners are scaling up response in all areas affected by drought and/or crop failure. Currently, 83 of 90 affected woredas in Somali, Oromia and SNNP regions are benefiting from expanded nutrition response with either outpatient therapeutic feeding programmes and/or therapeutic feeding units. The nutrition cluster has developed a nutrition situation monitoring matrix to provide information to partners on the situation, responses and gaps in the affected areas. This is designed to facilitate nutritional situation monitoring, information sharing and timely action as the situation requires. To enhance coordination of the response, the multi-agency nutrition task force (MANTF) has decided to meet on a fortnightly, rather than a monthly, basis. UNICEF continues to provide Therapeutic Feeding Programme supplies, capacity building of staff on the management of severe acute malnutrition and quality of service as well as logistic support to the response. For more information, contact: [email protected]

Food Response The second round of relief food distributions and dispatch of the third round of relief food allocations has been authorized by DRMFSS. To date, 85 per cent of the second round and 20 per cent of the third round of food has been dispatched by DRMFSS, WFP (in the Somali Region, through the Hubs-and-Spokes programme) and the NGO consortium Joint Emergency Operation (JEOP). In line with the beneficiary figures stated in the revised Humanitarian Requirements Document (HRD), a total of 3.2 million relief beneficiaries are to receive relief food assistance under the third round of distributions. However, due to commodity shortages in the country, areas to be covered by DRMFSS/WFP – except in Somali Region, where beneficiaries will continue to receive a full ration – will receive reduced rations of pulses and no blended food. For more information, contact: [email protected]

Health Response While there are no reports of acute watery diarrhea (AWD) cases from the regions WHO and the Regional Health Bureaus (RHB) are working on the prepositioning of diarrheal disease and CTC kits in preparation for possible AWD outbreaks. WHO is also assisting the RHB with regard to resource mobilization for AWD training and surveillance. To support the Oromia Regional Health Bureau to respond to ongoing measles outbreaks, UNICEF sent four essential drug kits to the Jimma Zonal Health Office. UNICEF sent six case treatment center (CTC) kits, 20 emergency drug kits and medical supplies to Afar during the week, and dispatched 36 emergency drug kits and ETB 275,486 (approximately $16,400) to Somali Region to cover the cost of transportation of the emergency drugs and supplies and for supervision and monitoring of the drought response. For more information, contact: [email protected] & [email protected]