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met the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, the THIS ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS: African Union’s Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, Rosebud Kurwijila, and the Director-General of • SPECIAL ENVOY’S VISIT TO ETHIOPIA the Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Agency, Simon • REGIONAL OVERVIEW Mechale, discussing with the latter the positive donor • MALARIA UPDATE response to Ethiopia’s Humanitarian Appeal. • POLIO CAMPAIGN • UPCOMING & ONGOING MEETINGS During his visit, Mr Bondevik was made an elder of the Kereyu Gada clan at a special gathering of pastoralist Focus on Ethiopia is produced by UN Office for the leaders in Fentale zone, Oromiya Region. The traditional Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in meeting on animal skins under acacia trees brought collaboration with other UN agencies and partner NGOs. together for the first time pastoralist elders from four of Focus on Ethiopia provides a monthly overview of Ethiopia’s pastoral groups, the Special Envoy, Ethiopia’s humanitarian trends and activities in Ethiopia, as well as UN Resident Coordinator, heads of the UN Country Team, focusing on particular issues of interest. Send comments, and government representatives. The elders shared with suggestions and contributions to [email protected] the visiting delegation the challenges confronting their way of life such as recurrent drought, lack of recognition and appreciation, conflict and restrained trading opportunities. SPECIAL HUMANITARIAN ENVOY SAYS ETHIOPIA “Pastoralism needs to be recognised as a way of life that is HAS LESSONS TO SHARE WITH ITS NEIGHBOURS viable and contributes to the economy. Our livestock is our way of life but we need access to an organised market so The United Nations Special Humanitarian Envoy, Kjell we can be sustainable,” said Borena elder, Nura Dida. “We Magne Bondevik, visited Ethiopia on 28 – 30 April, as part hope that this meeting will become a milestone in of a five-nation mission over eight days to the drought- pastoralist development”. affected countries of the Horn of Africa. Mr Bondevik, who was appointed in February for one year by the UN With Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, Mr Bondevik discussed Secretary General, is advocating for better humanitarian ways to strengthen emergency management capacities and assistance and longer-term development opportunities humanitarian relief, so that they support longer-term under the overall mandate of helping ensure effective solutions to food and livelihood insecurity. “Ethiopia is humanitarian action in the Horn of Africa. While in known for its disaster response systems and in many ways Ethiopia, the Special Humanitarian Envoy and his party is moving more quickly than some of it neighbours to A monthly focus on humanitarian trends and activities in Ethiopia, produced by UN OCHA in collaboration with other UN agencies & NGOs address food security issues. Given the regional nature of Hararghe Catholic Service, was not able to reach the this crisis in the Horn of Africa it is important to look at affected area due to the floods. The team (based on the what lessons and expertise it can pass on,” noted Mr. information from the woreda officials) recommends urgent Bondevik. In later discussions with the Deputy Prime food and non-food interventions. Project Concern Minister Addisu Legesse, the Emergency Food Security International allocated funds for the purchase of plastic Reserve and the Productive Safety Net Programme were sheeting. Meanwhile, a request to pre-position food in highlighted as two good examples of innovative systems Gode has been submitted to DPPA and non-food items from which several of Ethiopia’s neighbours might draw should also be pre-positioned. Trucks delivering food via lessons that could be applied in their countries. In the Babile to Fik, Gerbo, East Imi and Segag have experienced meeting with the DPM, other issues raised were the difficulties approximately 80 kms south of Babile due to Government’s current attention to organising legal markets heavy rains. As the rains recede, it is hoped that truck and developing other programmes to support pastoralists movement will resume at normal pace. and the question of how to address predictable and recurrent non-food needs among the most vulnerable Even though the rains improved the availability of water populations other than through emergency funding and pasture for livestock, the physical condition of the mechanisms. Mr Bondevik is expected to return to livestock has not still improved. The rains have increased Ethiopia later in the year. incidences of animal diseases due to increased breeding of insects and intensive animal movements. It also resulted in REGIONAL OVERVIEW deaths of weak animals. An alarming livestock disease outbreak (locally known as Cagaarshow- disease of the SOMALI liver) has killed up to 3,000 cattle in Liben zone. Three of the four woredas in the zone are affected by the outbreak, The onset of the gu rains was mixed in Somali Region. which is affecting cattle and shoats. No action is taken so The rains started one week earlier than the normal onset far from the Government and other partners. An unknown in the southern zones of Afder, Liben and parts of Gode camel disease, which is believed to have originated from but were late in the remaining areas of the region. The Afar Region has affected Shinile and Jijiga zones and is performance of the rains varies from good to poor. The expanding to Fik and Degehabur zones. The disease kills rainfall during the first dekad of April was generally good camels instantly and is contagious. Partners are and the second dekad was dry. Fortunately, the rains encouraged to provide antibiotic treatment, particularly oxy- resumed in the third dekad and several woredas reported tetracycline as vaccinations are not effective. In addition, light to heavy rainfall. Recent reports from Gode indicate reports from Yemen indicate that foot and mouth disease that the rains in Mustahil, Ferfer, Kelafo and Adadle has been detected in some animals that originated from woredas have been moderate, while that of Denan have Ethiopia and/or Somaliland. This has significantly reduced been poor to moderate. The rainfalls in Afder and Liben livestock exports via Berbera. Meanwhile, the regional zones have also been good except few areas in Dolo Odo, agricultural bureau, FAO, ICRC, IRC, ACF, Save the Chereti and Hargele. In Korahe zone, Shekosh woreda Children USA and Save the Children UK are actively had moderate rainfall, but the remaining woredas of the involved in livestock interventions such as vaccination and zone received no rainfall in April. East Imi in Gode zone treatment. ACDI/VOCA has also extended the repayment was among the woredas that have not received rain in the period of the loans for traders (unions and primary month. The performance of the gu rains have so far been cooperatives) to the end of September to provide the below normal in Warder, Degehabur and Fik zones. On pastoralists more time to utilise the money for livestock off- the other hand, Jijiga and Shinille zones have continued to take. receive good rains in April although both experienced a two-week dry spell. The migration of people (including cross border from Somalia) to areas that received good rains has posed a The rains have improved water availability and serious health threat in the region as measles cases was regeneration of pasture, but have also increased livestock confirmed among families that had recently migrated to mortality, hygiene concerns and created access problems. Bare woreda who had missed the recent vaccination There were increased fears of floods in Kelafo, Ferfer and campaigns. The emergency measles campaign, which Mustahil woredas, following the steady increase of the targeted more than half a million children from 6 to 59 level of Wabi Shebelle river towards the end of the month, months of age, is completed in all 30 targeted woredas, but since the first week of May, the water level is except in two where implementation is underway following subsiding. There has been flooding in parts of Dolobay delays due to heavy rainfall. Results are currently being and Dolo Odo woredas. Part of Dolo Odo was encircled by compiled. The remaining woredas are expected to be floods from a nearby overflowing river and some of the covered in June/July. Reports of common diseases such as residents were temporarily relocated. In mid April, floods malaria, diarrhoea, urinary tract infections, and respiratory also reportedly displaced up to 3,000 people in Lasarat diseases have increased. Unconfirmed diarrhoea outbreaks village, Ayisha woreda in Shinille zone. According to the are reported from Togwachale town (Jijiga zone) and woreda officials, the floods have reportedly destroyed Hargele woreda (Afder zone). A team from the Regional more than 190 houses and killed up to 500 animals. It is Health Bureau (RHB) and mobile heath and nutrition teams also reported that 293 quintal of wheat and 31 quintals of are investigating the situation in Togwachale and Hargelle CSB that water damaged were immediately distributed to respectively. The emergency nutritional situation is the affected people. A team, comprising DPPB and A monthly focus on humanitarian trends and activities in Ethiopia, produced by UN OCHA in collaboration with other UN agencies & NGOs expected to continue due to the fact that the pastoralists on water disinfection methods, hand-washing, and have lost their flocks and those that survived are too weak sanitation, for over 120 health workers and school to recover and provide enough milk to the family. MSF- teachers. UNICEF sent four teams to rehabilitate 23 water Belgium is providing CTC in selected areas in Bare and schemes in Gode, Afder, and Liben zones, 12 of which Chereti woredas. In addition to the available Therapeutic have been maintained so far, benefiting more than 36,000 Feeding Centers, run by the RHB; Goal, through OWDA people.

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