Quarter FS Situation & Early Warning Report (July - September 2015) FH – ETHIOPIA, DISASTER RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM (DRRP) DEPARTMENT In the Quarter: Impact of El Nino has resulted in water stress in a substantial scale in the lowlands of South Gondar and Wag Humra zones, causing a number of water sources to dry earlier than normal times According to the Central Statistics Agency of Ethiopia; Ethiopian inflation rate had peaked to 11.9 percent as compared to last year in 1. SummarySeptember from 11.6 percent, because of a rise in food items. Food price inflation had peaked from 1.114.7 General percent Overview a month ago to 16.1 percent, Theaccording early warning to the Agency.report of Oct the 7, quarter 2015 (July - September 2015) is summarized based on reports from currently ongoing FHE project areas of Amhara, SNNP, Oromia, and Benishangul Gumuz Regional States; and from the articles and bulletins of FEWS NET, Food Security updates, etc… The aim of preparing this report is to update partners on the prevailing food security situation at FHE intervention areas and give alert for preparedness and possible responses required. The report briefly includes the weather condition, market performances, health and nutrition and food security situation within the quarter (July - September 2015). COMPILED BY DISASTER RISK 1.2 Major Highlights towardsREDUCTION the end of July 2015,PROGRAM which forced In normal crop production years, the meher farmers to plant crops beyond the planting DEPARTMENT rain usually starts at the beginning of June season. Accordingly, the amount and that enables farmers to start planting meher distribution of rainfall had been much below crops timely and it continues up to the normal within most of the project area month of October for the normal maturity of woredas in the reporting period except Belo, crops. But, in the current year, the meher JULY–SEPTEMBER 2015 season rain started being very much late ADDIS ABABA0 Quarter FS Situation & Early Warning Report (July - September 2015) Sasiga and Diga woredas. As the result of On average 27% of the relief number is this: from PSNP caseload. The performance of rains had been much Also the shortage of meher rainfall in these below normal in FH/ORDA operational areas resulted in drinking water shortage for areas of Amhara Region, Zeway/ATJK humans as well as livestock, which is more woreda and Halaba woreda, due to the El aggravated at Tach Gayint, ATJK, and Nino effect. As the result of this, much Sekota woredas in the reporting period. The below normal crop production is expected water shortage will be more aggravated in from meher season production in these the next quarters dry periods within these areas. Due to this reason, it is expected that project area woredas, especially, in Tach the number of food insecure people will be Gayint, Sekota, Gazgibla, Simada, Lasta and Increasing in the next quarters. At the end of Zeway/ATJK woredas. the reporting period (in the month of Moreover, this water and feed shortage will September) the number of beneficiaries result in deterioration of livestock body under FHE emergency/JEOP support has condition in the next quarters as the dryness increased from 51,406 people, (which was in increases with high temperature in most of July), to 270,064 people in September in six the project areas except Belo, Sasiga and woredas of Amhara Regional state. Diga districts. The following narrative is a need story produced by FH communication unit stressing on water shortage at Tach Gaint Woreda How long you wait for 20 liters of water? original price. Crops did not perform well due “Except few days of shower we had no rain to insufficient rainfall even it did not grow since last April, 2015 (both short and main rainy seasons). All small rivers dried up and the amount of water from this spring is decreasing every day. Today is my sixth day till my turn out to fill my 20 liters Jeri can.”, said Ms. Melkam Kefe, 27, a mother of three children and resident of Endawa village, Kebele 10, Tach Gayint district of Amhara region. As the result of El Nino phenomenon, small and medium rivers dried up in three kebeles of Tach Gayint district of Amhara region. Nearly 20, 000 residents of these kebeles and their animals are suffering of water shortage. Mr. Amare Belete, Kebele 10 Agriculture Office Representative enough to be animal feed for some months. said that this is the highest drought in the last 20 Water and food shortage in the three Kebeles are year in our area. Water stress is very serious and manifested their ugly faces in the form of farmers are losing their animals either animals malnutrition on children, pregnant and lactating are dying or selling them with 25% of their 1 Quarter FS Situation & Early Warning Report (July - September 2015) mothers, scabies and girls stay away from just started till now we are using our stock from schools in search of water from distant places. government central store. Shortly we will run Tiruset Sisay, 15, a resident of Gedoda village, out of supplementary food stock unless replenish Kebele 9 of Tach Gayint, said “During last rainy them soon.” months we had no rain we supposed to get The health Extension Coordinator, Tach Gayint regularly starting June and this spring is getting District Health Office said, “Out of 16 kebeles dry. If this springs totally dry, I have to walk 5-6 found in the district, three kebeles are affected hours one way to Beshilo River to fetch water. seriously by the rain shortage. In these three Even today I will be late to go to school because kebeles there are nearly 20, 000 people. These I was waiting my turn for hours to fill my 20 people and their animals are suffering from liters Jerican. water shortage. According to our assessment Gedoda Health Center Head, said that as a direct result of the drought effects, transporting water result of water and food shortage, malnutrition and distributing to villagers is urgent solution.” on children under five years old, pregnant and FH Tach Gayint Project Manager said that lactating mother and scabies on children and generally, low lands of the woreda are suffering adults were observed. He added “While we from rain shortage. He added, “Almost all crops made house to house visit we screened 90 under failed, and springs and rivers are dried. Before five years old children and we gave them for life is lost we must establish water distribution supplementary food since mid-September 2015. centers in each village and transport water by In addition to that we are treating scabies for trucks from where it is available.” children and adults. The effect of the drought 2. General conditions in the project area districts 2.1 Amhara Region 2.1.1 South Gondar Zone Tach Gayint District: Weather: As indicated in the following table and graph, Tach Gayint woreda received 111mm of rainfall within the first decade of August 2015, which was above normal, even though it doesn’t cover all kebeles of the woreda. There were kebeles which did not receive even the minimum amount of rain within this decade. As the result of this, the kebeles that didn’t receive rainfall have been experiencing serious water shortage for crop and livestock. Due to the drought, hundreds of livestock have died and left some households with no livestock. In addition to this, huge hectares of cropped farmland composed of different types of crop were damaged even if the percentage of damage varied from one crop type to other. 1 Quarter FS Situation & Early Warning Report (July - September 2015) Table1: The amount of rainfall in mm per decade, within the reporting period in Tach Gayint Actual rainfall performance of Tach Gayint from July 2015 Decade 1 to September, 2015 decade 3 s/n Months July 2015 Actual RF amount in August2013 Actual RF amount in September 2013 Actual RF (mm) (mm) amount in (mm) Decade 1 Decade 2 Decade 3 Decade 1 Decade 2 Decade 3 Decade 1 Decade 2 Decade 3 1 7.5 63.7 45 111 47.7 46.8 43.2 40.2 0 Cumulative graph 2015 July decade 1 to 2015 September decade 2 Rain (dataset RFE2) for area AMHARA ~ SOUTH GONDER ~ TACH GAYINT January decade 1, 2015 To December decade 3, 2015 110 100 90 80 70 Mm60 50 40 30 20 10 0 J1 J2 J3 F1 F2 F3 M1 M2 M3 A1 A2 A3 M1 M2 M3 J1 J2 J3 J1 J2 J3 A1 A2 A3 S1 S2 S3 O1 O2 O3 N1 N2 N3 D1 D2 D3 Source: Livelihood, Early Assessment and DecadesProtection/LEAP in the year Rain Actual Data Rain Normal Data The performance of major crops within the current quarter is below normal as developmental stage of those crops is not as expected. There are several factors that contributed for the poor performance of the crops on the farm field during this reporting period. These are: Late onset and erratic distribution of the meher rainfall, The delay in planting period due to waiting for the meher rain and early cessation of the rain, The performance of chick pea is relatively better at some kebeles. The crop has resisted the moisture stress while teff has failed to withstand the extreme drought condition and, as a result, wilted and aborted (see the following picture). 1 Quarter FS Situation & Early Warning Report (July - September 2015) Table 2: Crop growth stage byCrop agro performance-ecological at zone Tach, TachGayint Gyint Type of Agro- ecological Developmental stage Crop achievement as major crops zone compared to the normal years( equal, below/above) Wheat and Dega Fruiting stage Below barley Bean & Pea Dega Flowering stage Below Teff, wheat Dega Woina dega Growing stage Below & Zangada Barley Woina Dega Fruiting stage Below Bean & Pea Woina Dega Flowering Below stage Sorghum Kolla Growing stage Below Chick Pea Kolla Growing Normal stage Teff Kolla Flowering stage Below Source: T/Gayint Woreda ARDO Among fifteen kebeles of the district, three of them (namely 9, 10, and 11) are severely affected and no production is expected due to the failure of rain.