SITTI ZONE MULTI AGENCY RAPID ASSESSMENT Dates of the Assessment: 28 April-03 May 2015,

Team Members

S. No Name Organization Role 1 Muhumed Hasan DPPB Team leader 2 Mohamed Adan OXFAM GB Member 3 Mohamed Farah UNICEF Member 4 Mohamed Mumin SCI Member 5 Hasan Rebe Zonal DPPB Member 6 Abdirahman MERCY Member 7 Mohamed Tahir WFP Member 8 Siyad Abdi FEWS NET(USAID) Member 9 Ali KRAN(LNGO) Member

Key Findings:

1- Weather Performance Generally main rainy seasons in Sitti are Dira/Gu, from mid-March to mid-May and KARAN, from July to mid-September. The onset of Karan 2014 rain was on time in and continued till the end of August), with the exception of Aishia, North of and , and Hadhagala Woreda of Sitti zone, where the onset was late and cessation was early. Gu/Diraa 2015 rain started third week of March in the entire zone. The duration of Gu/Diraa rains was one to two days, from 21 to 22 March 2015. The amount received was normal in the majority part of Dambel ( areas bordered with and Diredawa council), Parts of Ma’eso (between Afdhaba, Mule and Nasahablod) and some areas of Afdam (Ruki, Gubanti and Dar-ele) and Erer district (border areas of Erer with the Oromia). Whereas Ayshia, Hadhagala, and North of Shinile, Erer, and Ma’eso woredas received much below normal and most of these weredas are currently facing critical water shortage and lack of Pasture, due to limited water sources, degraded landscape / terrain, coupled with low rainfall amount.

2- WASH Due to delay of current 2015 Gu rainfall coupled with the long dry season of jilaal has caused critical water shortage across all woredas of the zone. According to the general observation compiled with different interviews with the visited community and woredas administrations, the water yield from underground water sources declined comparing the normal time and the assessment team observed more livestock awaiting the queue on the water sources areas. Over pumping of the water sources caused technical problems, with the continuation of the dry spell of the season and more livestock and human population suffered seriously. Furthermore, all Birks and Bonds become dried in the early stage of the drought and population in these areas migrated to the nearest water sources, For instance three main Boreholes out of the total five Boreholes in the zone are non-functional which are Dawanle(Genataor replacement), Maramadobays(Electro mechanical) and Biyo didley(Solar sytem) in Oxfam GB will rehabilitate ftrom ECHO funded resilience program in Sitti zone. These Boreholes is important when such droughts occur for both livestock and human in that areas and near. Currently the people in Dawanle kebele are fetching water from insanitary water source that may cause serious health uncertainties for humans. Oxfam GB started 15 days water trucking from their internal funds for the most seriously affected kebeles in Hadhigala (Hariso and Gur gur) and Ayshia woreda (Sinujif) while Afdem woreda conducted water trucking for Asli kebele and Sub kebeles of Ali jir for the month of April from the budget however, this effort was exhausted due to lack of budget to continue.

The Below table summarized sites requiring urgent water intervention

Zon Woreda Hot Spot Nearest Dis Estimated Water source at e Kebeles water tan population normal time source ce (individauls) Km Sitti Shinile Bisle Shinile 60 1800 Birka ayiliso Shinile 7 2400 Birka Xadhkaley Shinile 80 3000 Birka Hadagal Hariso Hadagale 108 2500 Birka e Gurgur Hadagale 32 2000 Birka Dhidile Hadagale 29 1900 Pond Biyo garaca Hadagale 27 2400 Birka Gadidkate Hadagale 18 2000 Birka Bildiq Hadagale 80 1500 Traditional wells Gedwayne Hadagale 35 800 Birka Aisha Hared bilbil Dhagagoo 14 1600 H.D.W Shehkyabar Biyo gurgur 15 1740 Birka e Hawada Dhagagoo 15 1600 Birka Sinajif Dhagagoo 24 640 Traditional well Sawe Dhagagoo 25 560 Traditional well Barjin Dhagagoo 23 570 Traditional well Marabis Dhagagoo 18 560 Birka Xidhxidh Biyo gurgur 26 1500 Birka Dawanle Cadayle 25 3500 Bore hall Xumbuli Cadayle 28 1340 H.D.W Erer Asbuli Erer 70 8000 H.D.W Odidala Erer 40 2000 H.D.W Tabci Erer 50 2000 Birka Kaylawayn Erer 53 3000 Traditional wells Ma’ayso Manjo Muli 25 3000 Traditional wells Hulka dobe Muli 20 3600 Traditional wells Jajabe Muli 17 5400 Traditional wells Khato Haradin 16 3200 Traditional wells Kaha Afcase 14 1300 Borehole Madane tiri Madane 22 1800 Traditional wells Afdam Asli Alijir 20 2880 Traditional wells Dankarone Bakuli 25 1710 Traditional wells Hawenle Bakuli 43 1560 Traditional wells Total 73,360 Note: The number of affected individuals per kebele may be exaggerated however, the above mentioned kebeles are the most seriously affected kebeles in Sitti.

3- Livestock condition The poor performance of the last two rainy seasons had severely affected availability of pasture, browse and water in all woredas of Sitti Zone. The abnormally dry and hot conditions have caused substantial deterioration of livestock body conditions (mainly Shoat and cattle) and negatively impacted livestock body condition, productivity, market value and weakened their resistance to diseases and caused more death in Ayshia, Hadhagala, Parts of Shinile, Parts of Dembel, Northern part of Erer, Parts of Afdem and Ma’eso. The most and first livestock death is Shoat, (both Goat and sheep)e, while death of cattle was also reported in Ma’ayso wereda. There are no livestock epidemics reported but endemic diseases like CCPP, Pateurellosis and PPR were reported. For instance, In Bisle,Harey Hore,Gurgur, Biyokabobe the team witnessed a significant number of morbidity and mortality and emaciated cattle and shoats which cannot stand by themselves, and needs human supports. In Ayshia woreda 2,000 livestock died in the month of April. One of the most critical cases observed is a shoat consuming each other’s hides after long time of hunger in Gurgur kebele of Hadigala woreda(See below Photo).

Photos 1: shoat consuming each other’s hides in Gurgur kebele of Hadigala woreda @ May 2015, the Assessment team

The most critical case observed by the assessment team is mass deaths of livestock particularly shoats that began in late March from shinile,Hadigala and Ayshia woredas, but the average daily loss of animals has risen in the last three weeks of April 2015 this is due to lack of feed/pasture coupled with critical water shortage. According to the data collected from household in the visited villages, the current situation is the cumulative result of the frequent droughts. Households consider as one of the worst since 1999/2000 drought.

Photos: 2: Carcasses of livestock deaths in Hadigala and Ayshia woredas of Sitti zone @ May 2015_By the assessment team. 4- Pasture Current condition of pasture and browse in almost shinile, Ayshhia and Hadigala is significantly deteriorating due to long Jilal coupled with lack of Gu rains. The impact of prosorbis in competing with trees and grass is pronounced in Shinile, Erer and Hadigala which is an evidenced for depletion of pasture and brows and as a result livestock was affected leading to weak and death. During team’s observation for all visited areas, no pasture were observed. Currently, only plateaus along the sides of Oromia Mountains have a small amount of pasture due to previous less grazing and all the different livestock species came to there for grazing/ browsing. Furthermore, a conflict between Oromo and is also reported in Afdem, Ma’eso and Erer woreda, due to natural resources competition especially the pasture. 5- Migration: Large number of livestock in rain deficit areas of Sitti zone were unusually migrated out of their normal grazing areas for extended period to Dembel areas bordered with Oromia and Diredawa council (Garba Anano, Galdesa, and Jidhimide), Parts of Ma’eso (between Afdhaba, Mule and Nasahablod), some areas of Afdam (Ruki, Gubanti and Dar-ele) and Erer district (border areas of Erer with the Oromia). The migration is abnormal and started earlier than normal time. The first livestock migrated was Camel to mountain areas before 2 months. The cattle of Hadhagala and Shinile migrated to Gebi, Waruf and Birdheer, where resettlement program was planned to get pasture called ALAL, growing besides irrigation water run canals. All types of livestock migrated including lactating, except some livestock of week body condition and unable to move such long distance. There is also report of livestock migrated from Oromia to Kurfasawe kebele and Mule town in woreda of .

6- Health and nutrition status

Although most of the health facilities are functional however the drought closed Seven HPs (Ayshia 3, Haghigala 1, Afdem 3) due to the critical water shortage and the migration of the pastoralists, while There is no officially reported disease outbreaks there were community reported Diarrheal cases in all age groups related to critical water shortage in 16 kebeles in the entire Sitti zone; Ayshia (Dawanle, Biyo badan, El lahelay, Mara adays); in Erer( Urdale, Abuli, Aydora, Tibi and Sideta sub kebele),In Mieso woreda(Af Asse, Madane, Kaaha and Haradin) and Hadhigala (Biyo Gara’o, Harriso and Gurgur), furthermore,.the people are consuming the meat of sick animals which can cause diarrheal diseases.

Vitamin A deworming Supplementation campaign is ongoing in All Sitti woreda while Ayshia woreda is implementing EOS screening which will facilitate the assessment of the food security and Nutrition Situation in the woreda. There is NO concrete Nutrition data at woreda to analyze the nutrition trends and the team couldn’t conduct rapid MUAC screening due to the drought induced stress at community level and time constraints however widespread adult (pregnant/lactating women) visible sign of malnutrition were seen across the visited woredas/kebeles, worse compare to that of children nutrition status.

7- RELIEF and PSNP DISTRIBUTIONs Hadagale and Dembal woredas as well as Hardin FDP of Miesso woreda are under relief food assistance of the Sitti zone. Two rounds of relief food were took place of the two woredas Furthermore, in Hadagale woreda, 861.06 MT of assorted food was distributed to 57,404 actual beneficiaries which was equivalent to planned beneficiaries at Hadagale woreda whereas Dembal woreda 929.25 MT of assorted relief food was distributed to 97,264 actual beneficiaries versus 61,950 planned beneficiaries. However, beneficiaries seriously complained about sorghum which was included relief food basket because sorghum cannot be used as locally made Anjero which is one of the highest consumable food for the beneficiaries.

In addition to that, Shinnile, Aysiha Afdem, Erer rand Miesso woredas are under PSNP programme thus each woreda received two rounds of PSNP food. 1,124.66 MT, 918.25 MT, 1,027.6 MT, 967.88 MT and 811.02 MT of cereal respectively were distributed to 74,967, 61,232, 65,284, 64,510 and 5,406 beneficiaries of Shinnile, Ayisha, Afdem, Erer and Meiso woredas respectively. Moreover, a delivery of third round of PSNP is going on.

Responses  Woreda heads with the consultation of their respective cabinets decided to distribute the third round as soon as allocation of individual FDP is completely delivered without regarding implementing public work activities.  Some woreda administrators already requested the release of 5% of contingency budget (PSNP budget) allocations while the other administrators are on the process of requisition of releasing contingency budget allocations.

8- Education Sector Findings

Drought affected education sector and the most affected schools are ABE in pastoral areas, 65(36% of the total ABE schools) ABE schools with 9,617(46% Female) students with in the five visited woredas are closed where children moved with their livestock and families S. Woreda Total number Number of Affected Students Total number of Schools in the N of school Woredas closed by drought Woreda Formal ABE Male Female Total Formal ABE 1 Afdam 1 7 1021 685 1,706 13 24 2 Hadagala 0 18 - - - 8 51 3 Ayisha 0 8 257 169 426 47 18 4 Erer 0 17 1977 1732 3,706 23 50 5 Meiso 1 15 1957 1819 3776 19 36 Total 2 65 5,212 4,405 9,617 110 179

Most Likely Assumptions (May to July 2015) The May to July 2015 outlook is based on the below assumptions.  Livestock body conditions are likely to remain very poor, with more livestock death during May, June and July 2015, due to the continued deterioration of pasture and water availability for the coming Hagaa.  Milk availability will decline further seasonally during the Hagaa season as pasture availability and the number of milking animals decrease.  Milk prices will follow the seasonal increasing trend during the Hagaa season,  Following the normal seasonal trend, prices of imported commodities are expected to rise seasonally starting in May as shipping is curtailed from May to August due to strong monsoon winds on the high seas.

Recommendations  Lifesaving humanitarian assistance and livelihood support remain vitally important between May and July 2015, to help food insecure populations, meet their immediate food needs  Support irrigated forage production activities in areas having irrigation facilities.  Food for education program be continued and further expanded to pure pastoralist children.  Urgent water tracking for 73,360 victims affected by the acute water shortage until rainfall  Providing water purification chemicals for communities rely on insanitary water sources  Oxfam in collaboration with RWB to maintain urgently the three nonfunctional bore halls in Aisha woreda  Continuous monitoring and supervision for all functional bore halls particularly those locating livestock in-migrated areas.  Woreda health office staff should be supported in emergency response so that they can have their own plan to respond immediately whenever public health emergency comes without delay.  Provision of Emergency drugs in all visited woredas(Shinile, Ayshia, Afdem, Erere, Mieso and Hadigala)  Supplementary feeding program for children is urgently required as soon as the ongoing EOS screening in Ayshia woreda is completed.  Deployment of Mobile Health and Nutrition teams to Afdem, Erer, Mieso, Hadhigala and Ayshia woredas.  Urgent Initiation of EOS screening in Hadigala, Afdem, Erer and Mieso woreda