ETHIOPIA Food Security Update March 2009
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ETHIOPIA Food Security Update March 2009 • Ethiopia continues to face high levels of food Figure 1. Current estimated food security conditions: January insecurity, with an estimated 12.4 million people to March 2009 considered currently food insecure. A total of 7.5 million people will be covered under the Productive Safety‐Net Program (PSNP), whilst 4.9 million people require emergency food assistance from January to June 2009. • Food security in the belg‐crop producing parts of the country is threatened by a delayed and erratic start of the belg rains. If the rains remain poor, a second consecutive below‐average harvest will occur in these already chronically food insecure parts of the country. Close monitoring of the seasonal rains through the end of the season is required. • The national inflation rate in February 2009 was 46.1 percent, with food inflation at 61.1 percent Source: FEWS NET and WFP Ethiopia and a non‐food inflation rate of 24.2 percent. The For more information on FEWS NET’s Food Insecurity Severity Scale, please see: www.fews.net/FoodInsecurityScale price of maize, the food most widely consumed by the poor, is 130 percent higher than the 2004‐2008 average and 47 percent higher than that of February 2008. The food security of households that spend a significant proportion of their income on food will continue to be negatively affected due to the high and rising staple food prices. Seasonal calendar and critical events timeline Source: FEWS NET Food security overview Ethiopia continues to face high levels of food insecurity, with 12.4 million people considered to be currently food insecure. A total of 7.5 million people will be covered under the Productive Safety‐Net Program (PSNP), whilst 4.9 million people require emergency food assistance from January to June 2009. These needs stem from a combination of issues including FEWS NET Ethiopia FEWS NET Washington FEWS NET is a USAID-funded activity. The authors’ views expressed in this Addis Ababa 1717 H St NW publication do not necessarily reflect the view of the United States Agency Tel: +251 11 662 02 17/18 Washington DC 20006 for International Development or the United States Government. [email protected] [email protected] www.fews.net/ethiopia ETHIOPIA Food Security Update March 2009 Figure 2: Food Insecurity Prioritization and Issues of Concern in February high levels of chronic food insecurity, a 2009 below normal meher (main season) harvest in some areas following unseasonal rains and drought, poor belg (minor season harvest) production in 2008, repeated seasons of poor rains in the pastoral areas and continued high food prices that have affected food access, especially for the poor. Following a continued shortage of food aid resources, which began in July 2008, the food insecure population has been classified into three groups. Under the current plan, the most severely affected population (the 1st priority and 2nd priority groups), numbering 3.7 million people, will receive a full food aid ration (excluding oil) for February and March 2009. Planning is underway for Source: WFP allocation for these months. The moderately affected population (3rd priority group) will receive three‐quarter rations without blended food (Figure 2). Overall food security conditions in most parts of Oromia Region have shown improvement due to a satisfactory meher harvest and ongoing assistance programmes. However, Bale, Arsi, and Guji zones face limited food availability, particularly in Seru, Arsi Robe, Aseko, Gololcha, and Munesa woredas where the meher harvest failed. School closings and increased dropout rates have been reported in these areas due to food and water shortages. Since mid February, emergency water rationing has been taking place in Daweserer, Dawekachen, Delomena and Raytu woredas. Belg season rains were expected in mid‐March but only Arsi, West Arsi, West Shoa, and Borena have recieved any precipitation thus far, and these rains have been poorly distributed. Land preparation has started in belg producing areas of North Shoa, West Shoa, the West Arsi highlands, and low‐ and mid‐land woredas of Arsi but any further delay of the belg rains could significantly affect planting activities. With regards to livestock conditions, in body conditions are poor due to the current prolonged dry spell and livestock headers are travelling long distances with their livestock in search of water. Adverse livestock/cereal terms of trade have also put pastoralists in disadvantageous position. In SNNPR, high rates of acute malnutrition have been reported in Gedeb and Bulle woredas of Gedeo zone following the nutrition and health assessment conducted in the region in February 2009. Admissions to Outreach Therapeutic Points (OTPs) and Stabilization Centers (SCs) were also reported to be high and increasing in Dilla Zuria woreda of Gedeo zone. An increase in cases of acute malnutrition has also been reported in Burji, Derashe, Humbo, Melga, Shashego, Gibe, West Badawacho, Tembaro, and Doyo Gena woredas of the region, but these reports have not yet been verified, either by a standard nutrition survey, a rapid assessment or clinical data. In part, Increased admissions in SNNPR have been attributed to admissions of children from adjoining woredas of Oromia region. Given the poor potato (both sweet potato and Irish potato) crop expected in March 2009, poor enset availability due to over utilization during the last year, poor coffee production and prices, and poor labor availability, malnutrition levels could continue to rise as the season progresses unless food aid distribution and supplementary feeding programs continue to be timely and are intensified in the coming months. In Amhara region, the nutrition situation appears to be stable, except in isolated woredas. Field reports indicate that admissions to Supplementary Feeding Points (SFP) increased in Dessie Zuria woreda, in Worebabo and Ambassel woredas of South Wollo zone in February 2009. Meanwhile, Save the Children UK has opened Community Therapeutic Centers (CTCs) in Delanta and Bugna woredas of North Wollo. These woredas are highly dependent on the belg season and the performance of both the 2008 belg and the 2008/09 meher was poor. Cases of Acute malnutrition have also been reported in Gonder Zuria woreda of North Gonder zone, where a nutrition survey was recently completed and data is being analyzed. As in 2008, a poor belg harvest in these woredas could result in the deterioration of food security conditions. Famine Early Warning Systems Network 2 ETHIOPIA Food Security Update March 2009 In the Somali region, extreme food insecurity persists in most areas as a result of continued market access problems related to insecurity in some zones, low milk production this year due to drought related declines in calving and kidding rates, and from the ongoing impacts of huge livestock losses in 2008. However, prices for sorghum and maize continue to decline in most parts of the region due to increased food aid distributions and harvests in some woredas, benefiting those households that still have the resources to purchase grain. A Government led nutrition survey is planned for April 2009. However, anecdotal information from the region indicates that acutely malnourished under‐five children were admitted during last three months in Kalafo hospital of Gode zone. Cases of malnutrition have also been observed in Degehabur zone and the affected children are receiving treatment in Degehabur hospital. Adding to the food insecurity is a growing IDP population in the region. A joint verification assessment by the Oromiya region, Borena zone, and partners estimates that over 81,765 people have been displaced due to Geri/Borena clan conflict over water and pasture Arero, Moyale and Das woredas of Borena zone. In addition there are 200 new displaced households from Goyale kebele of Nagelle woreda of Oromia region which have joined the exisiting IDPs in Guradamole woreda of Bale zone in Oromia region. In Gambella region, nearly 12,000 people in Itang and Lare woredas have been displaced due to fears of Murule ethnic group (Sudanese) attacks. The displaced people from Itang were also previously displaced by ethnic conflict, beginning December 2008. According to the Galadi local administration, 376 drought affected households are camping at the outskirts of Libile Kebele of Geladi woreda in Warder zone in the Somali region; Also in the Somali region, abnormal migration of livestock from Hudet and Moyale waredas of Liban zone to Kenya as a result of the ethnic conflict has been reported. The drought‐ and conflict‐displaced persons (IDPs) in Liban, Borena, Bale, Warder and Shinile zones are in addition to the 4.9 million emergency beneficiaries and require additional assistance. As the conflict in the neighboring country of Somalia continues, the number of registered asylum seekers in the border town of Dollo Ado stands at 3,158 people of which 2,075 persons are officially recognized as refugees. Cases of acute watery diarrheao (AWD) and measles were reported from some woredas of Borena zone but are now under control. Following support of the regional Health Bureau, the last reported measles cases have been controlled in West Arsi zone in Amhara region. Health professional from Sidama zone in SNNPR were deployed to Boricha in order to assist the woredas in the control of a measles outbreak in 14 rural kebeles. An outbreak of measles cases was reported in Enjiro and Dagyabor kebeles of Galadi woreda in Warder zone of Somali region. The problem of rabies in cattle and people that started in January 2009, continued in Gode and Afder zones of Somali region and efforts are underway to control the outbreak. Seasonal progress The February to May rains are critical for many areas of Ethiopia. They are the main seasonal rains for the pastoral and agro‐pastoral populations of the south and southeastern parts of the country, including southern Somali region, the lowlands of Borena, Guji and Bale zones of Oromia Region, and South Omo zone of Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Region.