OCHA Situation Report
Ethiopia
11 September 2003


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT AND UNITED NATIONS APPEAL FOR ADDITIONAL HUMANITARIAN
ASSISTANCE UNTIL THE END OF 2003

The Ethiopian Government and the United Nations appealed on 5 September
2003, for an additional US$40 million of non-food humanitarian aid and
37,500 mt of food to lessen the effects of the humanitarian crisis
crippling the country. Already struggling with the effects of severe
drought conditions and food shortages, Ethiopia is currently experiencing
a major health threat fuelling a likely malaria epidemic and water related
diseases. In a jointly issued document entitled "Update of Emergency
Assistance Requirements and Implementation Options for August to December
2003", the Government and the United Nations appealed for US$ 13.3 million
for health and nutrition interventions, US$ 14.6 million for water and US$
7.7 million for agriculture and US$ 4.6 million for various other sectors.
The total revised unmet requirements amount to US$ 40 million. The most
urgent requirements are the provision of targeted supplementary food,
malaria prevention and control, the supply of more emergency health kits
and nutrition surveillance including assessment surveys and monitoring of
interventions. Water provision and sanitation for an estimated 4.2 million
beneficiaries are also particularly under-funded for areas of most
concern. For agriculture, additional funding is required for animal
health, feed and fodder bank development as well as for the recovery of
non-cereal crops and for early warning and coordination activities. The
appeal update also indicates that 2.4 million additional beneficiaries
need food assistance as of August 2003 out of which 1.8 million people
need an extension of assistance and 600,000 are new beneficiaries. The
total beneficiaries for the year 2003 increased from 12.6 million to 13.2
million people requiring over 617,000 tonnes of food until the end of
2003. However, most of the food required has been pledged leaving a
shortfall of 37,500 tonnes of pulses and vegetable oil.

UN FIELD MISSION REPORTS PERSISTING PROBLEMS AND SIGNIFICANT COORDINATION
IMPROVEMENTS IN SNNPR

An UN field mission in SNNPR has facilitated Zonal Emergency Partners'
Coordination Forum Meetings and conducted assessments on detected
hotspots. The field mission was conducted in Da wuro, Kambata-Tambaro,
Hadiya, Gurage, and Silte Zones and Alaba Special Woreda from 11 August -
9 September 2003. Key problems of serious humanitarian concern identified
during the coordination meetings include crop damage by hailstorms and
flooding, shortage of fertilizer and possible yield reduction,
malnutrition, poor hygiene and sanitation conditions in the TFCs,
warehouse problems, increased threat of malaria, and weak targeting.
Significant improvements were noted in the institutionalization of
effective coordination among the partners of the forums (government line
departments, NGOs and UN agencies) in the exchange of information and
decision-making. In the series of forum meetings held, action plans were
formulated on key problems identified based on humanitarian updates for
taking action and follow-ups by the partner agencies.

DPPC WORKSHOP REVIEWS EMERGENCY FOOD PERFORMANCE IN SNNPR

Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission (DPPC) convened a workshop
in Awassa on 3 September to discuss the performance of relief food
operations in SNNPR. The meeting had participation of the full range of
government DPP staff: as well as senior staff from the federal level,
regional staff from the Ministry of Rural Development and DPP desk heads
from 12 zones and 19 woredas attended. Staff from UN agencies and NGOs
also participated. The workshop focused on identifying problems and
agreeing on solutions. The main difficulties being encountered included:
early warning; targeting; coordination of general rations, supplementary
food and therapeutic feeding; distances travelled by beneficiaries; food
management; information flows; and general government capacity issues such
as inadequate staffing, transport and budget. While many of these problems
will be difficult to fully resolve, participants reached consensus on
action for urgently needed improvements.

GENERAL RATION REVISED TO BE LARGER AND MORE BALANCED

Given the severity of food shortage and the robust response to the Appeal,
the ration for general distribution has been revised to be larger and more
balanced.  The general ration of 15 kg of cereals per person per month or
[pppm], has been increased with an additional 1.5 kg of pulses pppm and
0.5 kg of vegetable oil pppm. Fortified blended food (take-home rations of
4.5 kg pppm)  is targeted as supplementary food to particularly vulnerable
groups (children under-five, pregnant women and nursing mothers)  in
districts where malnutrition rates are severe.


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