EMERGENCY WHO AND HUMANITARIAN ACTION (EHA) Country Office WEEKLY UPDATE / ETHIOPIA Ethiopia Addis Ababa ECA New Building Ground Floor World Health Organization (WHO) Week 46 (10 to 16 Nov. 2008) Emergency and Humanitarian Action (EHA) ♦ Heavy rains in SNNP and Somali Regions the past week caused flooding and affected rural population in both re- HIGHLIGHTS gions. According to local authorities, the urgent needs of the affected population include shelter, food, water, health and non-food items. 1– Floods in Somali and SNNP regions in Ethiopia 2 - Food Security Situation and Response in Ethiopia 3– Disease Outbreak Situation and Response in Ethiopia 4– National Assessment to identify 2009 Relief Requirements Ethiopian Profiles I. FLOODS IN ETHIOPIA Situation tares of sorghum, maize and soybean crops Location: Horn of Africa Population: Approx. 80,000.000 Somali Region: destroyed. In Hamer woreda, 36 house- Surface: 1.1 million sq km ⇒ Heavy rains in Somali Region and in the holds have been displaced. Additionally, Capital city: Addis Ababa highlands of Oromiya during the past floods during the past week affected a total Regions: 9; City Administrations: 2 week forced Wabi Shebelle and Genale of 3,850 households (23,100 people) in Refugees: 88,918 as of July 2008 (UNHCR) rivers to break banks causing floods in Shashego woreda and 168 households (731 parts of Somali Region. The Region people) in Wonko Kebele of Katchabira Council reported that floods affected woreda. Ethiopia communities in Mustahil, Ferfer and East Response Imi of Gode zone, West Imi and Dolobay ⇒ Immediate sectoral responses required in- of Afder zone, Gunegado woreda of De- clude shelter, food, water, health and non- gehabur zone and Kebribeyah woreda of food items. Currently a multi-agency mis- Jijiga zone. The floods have reportedly sion is undertaking rapid assessments to caused some displacement and damaged further identify requirements. 2,000 hectares of crop land. Southern Nations Nationalities people ⇒ WHO side, preparation is on going to send ⇒ Overflowing waters from Woito and three emergency health kits to the affected areas in Somali as soon as possible. The kits Map of Africa showing Ethiopia Omo rivers have affected communities in South Omo zone, 1,199 households have will be shifted from the warehouse of Naz- been displaced and a total of 4,355 hec- areth to Gode zone by early next week.. I. FOOD SECURITY SITUATION & RESPONSE IN ETHIOPIA ⇒ During the week, 2,729 new admissions ted nationally from the hotspot districts. of severely malnourished children to the Report were from the five regions: SNNPR, therapeutic feeding centers were repor- Oromiya, Tigray, Amhara and Somali. *SNNPR: Southern Nations and Nationalities People *MT: Metric Tones **WFP: World Food Programme Page 2 ⇒ In SNNPR, trends in new admissions have continued to de- food distribution points in Somali region. cline, while in Amhara low coverage of TFP interventions Meanwhile, the Ethiopian food Distribution Committee continue to cause ambiguity in analyzing the situation. decided that in view of delayed food arrivals, the No- ⇒ The overall lower reporting rate remains a challenge in deter- vember rations will only include cereals (10kgs) and mining trends in the hotspot districts. In addition, approxi- blended food (4.5 kg); pulses and oil will not be distrib- mately 24 percent of the 216 hotspot districts across the six uted. regions have no emergency nutrition interventions. ⇒ To meet the requirements, WFP plans to borrow ⇒ The situation is anticipated to improve in the near future fol- 26,000MT of cereals from the Emergency Food Security lowing commitment by partners such as Save the Children Reserve Administration. US, Save the Children UK, GOAL, Samaritan’s Purse and ⇒ Resource shortfalls for relief, PSNP Targeted Supple- World Vision Ethiopia to expand nutrition interventions to mentary Feeding programmes for the period until the new areas. end of 2008 amounts 85,819 MT worth US$74.1 million. ⇒ Response This week WHO has allocated US$ 7,500 to support nu- ⇒ WFP expects improvement in dispatching food in Somali Re- trition assessment in East and West Hararge Zone of gion with the onset of the Hubs and Spokes food distribution Oromiya Region. ⇒ system. Since the commencement of the system, some 9,000 In addition WHO supported training in SNNPR for 200 MT (out of 18,500 MT allocated for October) has been dis- health workers on management of severe astute malnu- patched from DMFSS/WFP hubs in Dire Dawa to hubs and trition and essential nutrition action 9ENA) II. DISEASE OUTBREAK SITUATIONS IN ETHIOPIA 1- Acute Watery Diarrhea Epidemics Situation health workers: ⇒ Official reports from he Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) 10 nurse, 3 public showed that Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD) cases continue to health officer and decrease countrywide. In addition as there is no reports of 17 sanitarians. The new affected district in the past four weeks. participants were ⇒ Presently, 13 woredas in four regions are reporting active from 7 districts cases: six in Amhara (Awabel, Gonder Zuria, Tegede, Fogera, and 1 zonal health Training Participants / 13/11/2008 Yilma Densa and Shenkora), one in Oromiya (Zway Dugda), d e p a r t m e n t . (Photo: Mr. Waltaji / WHO) two in SNNPR (East Badawacho and Dugna Fango) and four in Tigray (A. Tsmbila, Tsegede, Kafta Humera and M. Zana). The cost of this The compilation of AWD data of the week are not completed training was fully yet. covered by WHO. ⇒ NB: There were 3,791 cases and 23 deaths reported nationally WHO also sup- (Case Fatality Rate: 0.6%) as of 2nd November 2008. ported RHB techni- cal facilitation of the Response This week WHO in collaboration with UNICEF, PSI training with UNI- Demonstration of Pure Chemical for treating and Amhara Regional Health Bureau (RHB) organized three-day CEF and PSI. training focused on AWD epidemic prevention. There were thirty Water / Zewdali N. Shoa zone National Trend analysis Shows Acute Watery Diarrhea [ AWD ] Cases and Deaths as of 09 November 2008, Ethiopia 600 100 545 90 500 499 80 70 400 349 60 s s th se a a 318 e C 50 300 D D D W W A 40 A 221 200 172 30 152 158 127 116 20 99 100 90 72 67 65 62 58 53 58 53 10 48 44 42 34 32 38 3 18 18 21 26 3 10 17 9 2 2 12 10 0 0000006 41 31 0000000008 000 1 001 0 1 000 000001 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 00002 0 1 3 5 7 9 111315171921232527293133353739414345 Epidemic Weeks Analysis: Emergency and Humanitarian Action and DPC Units World Health Organization - Ethiopia Country Office Data Source: Federal Ministry of Health - Ethiopia Date of Production: 17 November 2008 AWD_Cases AWD_Deaths EHA Ethiopia Weekly Update –Week 46 / 2008 Page 3 III. OTHER ACTIVITIES National Assessments to identify 2009 Relief Requirements vities were WHO EPI officers. A total of US$ 12,000 has ⇒ Assessments to identify 2009 relief requirements is sched- been used to cover these activities. uled to start on 17 November 2008 in all regions. The sec- ⇒ Four rounds of polio campaigns were conducted in Gam- tors are food, agriculture/livestock, water, and health. The bella region as of October 2008. A total of 71,000 chil- assessments will last 23 days later. The report is expected dren under five were targeted in each round. The for late December 2008. achievements were > 95% in rounds conducted. The last round (November) is on progress. ⇒ WHO will take active part of exercise. WHO field staff ⇒ WHO supported Surveillance activities: comprised of surveillance and EHA Officers will join the One medical surveillance officer with his driver are duty assessment teams. stationed in Gambella. He is conducting regular supervi- ⇒ In addition WHO fully funded the DSA for 22 assessment sion to districts and health facilities to support the IDSR, team members and 2 drivers for the period of the assess- outbreak investigation and response ment valued US$ 7,000. ⇒ From August 2008 and in the context of strengthening diseases surveillance following the confirmation of 2 wild Gambella Flood Response poliovirus cases in Gambella, WHO has supported the ⇒ In response to Gambella floods of August 2008, WHO sup- hiring of 2 health officers to strengthen disease surveil- port to routine immunization: strengthening the Reaching lance mainly in Agnuak and Nuer communities. Every District (RED) approach and training of health ⇒ In addition, WHO with the support from Rotary ordered workers. All districts attended the micro planning training two boats equipped with 50 horse-power engines that session and 30 health workers from all districts attended should be soon handed over to the Regional Health Bu- the peripheral level EPI training for five days and all eight reau for use in flood affected areas in Gambella. modules have been covered. The facilitators of both acti- IV. COORDINATION ⇒ This week WHO participated in the technical officers/ DMFSS* and Ethiopian Humanitarian Country team UNOCHA, WASH* cluster/MoWR**, Nutrition cluster/ (EHCT)/UNDP meetings held in Addis Ababa. V. COMMENTS ⇒ Flooding in Somali and SNNP regions that occurred the plex emergencies that Ethiopia experiences the last past week due to heavy rains come to confirm the com- four years. *WASH: Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Promotion *DMFSS: Disaster Management and Food Security Sector ** MoWR: Ministry of Water Resources For more information please contact: WHO Country Office, Addis Ababa / Ethiopia Tel: (+251) (0) 115 53 47 77 / 53 15 50 Email: [email protected] Canadian International Development Agency UNOCHA EHA Ethiopia Weekly Update –Week 46 / 2008 .