OCHA Situation Report
Ethiopia
4 March 2005


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

UPDATE ON PIPELINE FOR RELIEF FOOD

Recently confirmed contributions have improved the overall food aid 
pipeline for 2005. However, further contributions are required 
especially for relief. For relief food, WFP and the Disaster Prevention 
and Preparedness Commission have carryovers and new contributions 
totaling 99,000 tonnes, which can cover only 25 percent of requirements 
in the 2005 Humanitarian Appeal. While confirmed contributions can only 
cover around half of the requirements for March, there are some 
additional pledges under negotiation which are expected to cover the 
outstanding March requirements. For more information contact: 
wfp.addisababa@wfp.org

POLIO IMMUNISATION UPDATE

Following the confirmation of two cases of Wild Polio Virus (WPV) in 
Tigray Region, the Interagency Coordination Committee comprising WHO, 
UNICEF and several donors, chaired by the Ministry of Health, has 
accelerated the planned rounds of polio vaccination. The mission starts 
its first round in the first and third week of March targeting over four 
million children. The second and third nationwide rounds are scheduled 
from the first week of April to May targeting 14.7 million children for 
each round. This plan will assure that children at the most risk and 
border areas will get three consecutive rounds of Polio vaccination. WHO 
& UNICEF have hired 34 consultants to support this large campaign. Funds 
are required to cover operational costs as well as the procurement of 
the vaccine which is short US$ 1.3 million. For more information 
contact: igetachew@unicef.org

MEASLES UPDATE, AFAR REGION

UNICEF reported five laboratory confirmed cases of measles and an 
additional five more by epidemiological tests in Assaita woreda of Afar 
region. An additional 16 cases have been reported in Dupti woreda but 
not yet laboratory-confirmed. This region was covered by the large 
vaccination campaigns in late 2002 and early 2003. However, to conduct a 
new measles campaign more than US$ 1.2 million is required which is 
expected from the Joint Appeal 2005 but unfortunately remains largely 
un-funded. For more information contact: igetachew@unicef.org

CONTINUED HUMANITARIAN CONCERN IN AFAR

The Afar Pastoralist Development Association (APDA) reports that serious 
humanitarian situation persists especially in Zone 1 of Afar region. 
Families with their livestock that migrated to the neighboring highlands 
in search of pasture and water are returning as the farmers in those 
districts are about to prepare the land for crop growing. APDA says the 
contentious issue of selected animal feeding to save a milking and 
breeding herd remains unresolved. Woreda officials claimed on 21 
February, 70 families arrived in Elidar woreda from Aba'a kebelle, an 
extremely remote area on the northwestern border of the woreda. They 
claimed that they have lost their entire herd. APDA also reports that 
market prices are critically low and goats sell for as low as ETB 10.00 
and cows ETB 50.00. For further information contact: 
afarpastoral@telecom.net.et

WORLD VISION RESUMES FOOD AID OPERATION IN TENTA

This week, World Vision in collaboration with the local Administration 
has resumed food aid operations in Tenta district of South Wollo. The 
program will run for the next four months and will benefit over 11,000 
beneficiaries. Most of the food resource will be distributed via 
Employment Generating Schemes focusing on the construction of physical 
conservation structures, water and road infrastructure. A targeted 
supplementary feeding program will also be undertaken. The program is 
fully funded by the European Union as part of European Commission's/NGO 
relief food aid allocation. For more information contact: 
wveth@telecom.net.et

MAC MISSION TO ETHIOPIA

A Malaria Action Coalition (MAC) mission will visit Ethiopia from 7-14 
March 2005 as part of a malaria treatment policy scoping mission for 
sub-Saharan Africa. The objectives of the mission are to work with each 
country's Roll Back Malaria (RBM) partnership to define a needs-based 
malaria treatment policy as well as implementation and technical support 
requirements for the next 36 months. The general goal of this mission is 
to contribute to the attainment of the Abuja targets and RBM goals for 
the prevention, treatment and control of malaria in sub-Sahara Africa 
through coordinated technical support. MAC technical support focuses on 
the adoption and implementation of policies for the treatment of malaria 
and prevention and control of malaria during pregnancy. For further 
information contact: ambachewm@et.afro.who.int

MINE CLEARANCE OPERATIONS IN ETHIOPIA

To mark the celebration of the International Day for the Ban of 
Landmines on 1 March the Ethiopian Mine Action Office reported that it 
had cleared 16 million square meters of land in Tigray and Afar regions 
since operations began in 2002. An additional 5.5 million square metres 
of land was cleared and handed over to residents. March 1 marks the 
ratification of the Mine Ban Treaty in Ottawa, Canada in 1997 which 
Ethiopia ratified in November 2004. For further information contact: 
scottp@unopsmail.org.

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