U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
DEMOCRACY, CONFLICT AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE (DCHA)
OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA)
ETHIOPIA - Complex Emergency/Drought/Epidemic
Fact Sheet #1, Fiscal Year (FY) 2002    November 14, 2001


Note: this Fact Sheet provides summary data for US Government humanitarian
activities in fiscal year 2001

Background

- In May 1998, Ethiopia and Eritrea began a border conflict that lasted
until June 2000.  As part of the cease-fire agreement, the United Nations
(U.N.) established the U.N. Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), a
peacekeeping operation between the two countries.  UNMEE consists of
approximately 4,200 troops and military observers, and currently has a
mandate to operate through March 2002.

- Ethiopia has also been struggling with the effects of three consecutive
years of below-average rainfall.  In FY 2000, severe drought conditions
culminated in the most widespread food crisis in the country since the
famine of 1984-85.  In addition to household food insecurity,
drought-affected populations suffered from severe water shortages,
extensive losses of livestock and other assets, and increased
malnutrition.  Pastoralist populations in southern and southeastern
Ethiopia, facing losses of as much as 60-80% of their herds in some areas,
were forced to migrate to other areas in search of pasture and water
sources.


Numbers Affected

- Conflict:  The U.N. 2001 Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for Ethiopia
cited that the conflict with Eritrea had produced 360,000 internally
displaced persons (IDPs) in Tigray and Afar Regions.  UNICEF reported in
July that all but 72,000 of these had returned to their homes.

- Drought:  Estimates of the number of Ethiopians requiring drought
assistance fell from 10.2 million in June 2000 to 6.2 million in May 2001,
according to the U.N. Interagency Consolidated Appeal, and further to 4.5
million in August 2001, according to the Ethiopian Disaster Prevention and
Preparedness Commission (DPPC).

- Meningococal Meningitis:  Incidence of Meningitis peaked in April,
according to the World Health Organization (WHO), with 6,266 cases
reported between October 2000 and June 2001.


Current Situation

- Adequate rainfall in arable lands of the northern, western and central
parts of the country, combined with successful repatriation of many IDPs,
has improved conditions for many Ethiopians in 2001.  Focus remains on the
pastoralist communities in southern and southeastern areas of the country,
particularly the Somali region.  Insecurity, displacement and continued
poor rainfall have precluded recovery in certain areas of the region.
Animal and human health, nutrition, food security and access to water
remain critical issues.  The DPPC estimates that the number of
pastoralists in need of assistance in the Somali region is 1.2 million.
Poor rainfall in 2001 has forced approximately 80,000 Ethiopians in the
Somali region to moved from their homes to urban areas, while a large but
unknown number of pastoralists from Somalia have moved into the region and
are also facing water shortages.


U.S. Government Assistance

- In fiscal year 2001 (FY01, October 2000-September2001) the US Government
provided $144,081,398 in humanitarian aid to Ethiopia.


USAID/OFDA Total FY01 funding: $3,805,505.

- WFP - Support for the Emergency Nutrition Coordination Unit.  $147,574

- Concern Worldwide - Nutrition and disease surveillance, training of
community health workers, promotion of sanitation and hygiene.  Benefits
170,000 people.  $363,536

- Save the Children/US - Training of community health workers and
logistical support to vaccination campaign.  Benefits 140,000 people.
$476,136

- CARE - Animal health promotion and water sources rehabilitation.
Benefits 7,674 households.  $525,922

- International Rescue Committee - Construction of water sources and
sanitation facilities.  Benefits 60,000 people.  $449,363

- Cooperazione Internazionale - Rehabilitation of water resources and
improvement of water management systems.  Benefits 37,000 people.
$350,000

- Comitato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo dei Popoli - Rehabilitation of
war-affected water sources, provision of agricultural inputs and non-food
items to returning IDPs.  Benefits 6,360 people.  $348,200

- FAO - Support for animal health coordination and technical assistance.
$96,980

- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Support of
information coordination, security, and medical evacuation preparedness
activities.  $361,300

- Save the Children/UK - Establishment of an early warning information
system based on food economy analysis $336,494

- WFP - Support for air transportation for UN Agencies, NGOs, diplomatic
missions, bilateral agencies and international/national counterparts.
$350,000


USAID/Office of Food for Peace (USAID/FFP)  Total FY01 funding: $79.5
million.

- USAID/FFP provided approximately 172,590 MT of P.L. 480 Title II
emergency food assistance to populations affected by drought and conflict
in Ethiopia, valued at more than $79.5 million.  The food commodities were
provided to WFP and NGO partners.  Additional USAID/FFP contributions for
development programs are not included in this amount.


US Department of Agriculture/Foreign Agriculture Service (USDA/FAS)
Total FY01 funding:  $56.3 million.

- WFP - Approximately 130,000 MT of Section 416(b) emergency food
commodities for general distributions, targeted supplementary feeding,
food-for-work, and food-for-training activities, valued at more than $56.3
million.

US Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration
(State/PRM)
Total FY01 funding:  $4,475,893.

- UNHCR - Funding for UNHCR's 2001 appeal for Somalia and Sudanese
refugees in Ethiopia.  $2,000,000

- UNHCR - Support for child refugee programs.  $405,000

- UNHCR - Environmental programs.  $250,000

- UNHCR - Refugee protection and assistance at Kunama.  $200,000

- UNHCR - Refugee protection activities at Jijiga camp.  $117,742

- WFP - Food aid for Somali and Sudanese refugees.  $1,140,000

- Save the Children - Child programs in eastern Ethiopia.  $251,659

- International Rescue Committee (IRC) - Water facilities at Kunama.
$96,992

- IRC - Health supplies for the Kunama refugee health center.  $14,500

- UNHCR - Regional funding for Africa.  $60,000,000 *

- ICRC - Regional funding for Africa.  $45,100,000 *


USAID/OFDA   $ 3,805,505
USAID/FFP    $79,500,000
USDA/FAS     $56,300,000
State/PRM    $ 4,475,893
Total FY01 USG humanitarian assistance to Ethiopia   $144,081,398


* These funds are provided for activities to benefit refugees and
returnees throughout Africa and are not included in the total figures for
Ethiopia.


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