OCHA Situation Report No. 31
Eritrea
31 December 2005

Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

HIGHLIGHTS

At the end of the CAP 2005 cycle, 31 December 2005, the donor response 
to the CAP 2005 stands at 64% of the total requirement of US $ 156.7 
million. Over 70% of the resourced funding went to food aid. The donor 
funding to the non-food sector such as basic recovery, health and 
nutrition, water and sanitation, and coordination and support has been 
low. Thus most of the projects in the non-food sector are either 
implemented from core budget or partially implemented or could not be 
implemented at all.

Drought affects Livestock in Northern Red Sea - Eastern escarpment

FAO Emergency Unit and the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) staffs from 
Northern Red Sea region conducted an assessment by the end of December 
in Foro and Ghelalo sub-zones.

Livestock constitute an integral part of the economy of the farming 
household in the areas. Small ruminants (sheep and goats) comprise the 
largest in number following by cattle, camels and donkeys.

There had been insufficient rainfall in the areas for three successive 
years and in particular this rain season has completely failed in the 
Region, resulting in a serious shortage of livestock feed in the 
above-mentioned sub-zones.

In the past, livestock owners were used to migrate within the Region to 
the Escarpment in search of herbage for grazing but this season the 
failure of the rains is throughout the Region and hence there is no 
place for livestock to migrate. Herdsmen are waiting for showers during 
the months of January and February for the growth of grass to carry them 
until the next rainy season. However, currently drought situation is 
prevailing in the areas, consequently animals are dying. Livestock 
bodies died of starvation have been seen in different locations over the 
rangeland and along water points.

The team visited Maekenile, a village where most of the small ruminants 
are dying, and the cause of death as told by the owners is the lack of 
feed and disease. Mohammed Ibrahim one of the livestock owners told FAO 
that they just returned from migration having lost 200 heads of sheep 
between four families some of them on the way and some after they 
reached home.

The reporting team witnessed emaciated animals dying and from the 
symptoms observed the disease infecting the animals seems to be 
pasteurellosis. In most cases this disease appears in situations where 
there is stress due to migrations and shortage of nutrition.

As expressed by both administrators and MoA Office Heads in the two 
sub-zones, the number of livestock coming to market places has increased 
and the price of small ruminants has gone down from about ERN 600-800 
(US $40-53) to ERN 100-200 (US $ 7-13).

Bartering of small ruminants with wheat flour is a common practice in 
these areas, in the past on normal season the power of bartering was 1 
small ruminant to 50kg of wheat flour but now in the prevailing drought 
situation 3 small ruminants are being exchanged to the same amount of 
flour.

The Ministry of Agriculture with the assistance from FAO Emergency Unit 
distributed, 1000 and 2000 quintals of wheat bran to drought affected 
livestock owners in Foro and Gelaello sub-zones respectively.

Livestock owners are assisted with wheat bran according to the number of 
animals they own and it is expected to feed sheep or goats at least for 
a period of 2-3 weeks and this makes the operation a temporary 
assistance but not a lasting solution.

Vulnerability in the Region's farming community is increasing as 
consequence of the drought. Planting season in rain fed cropping areas 
has completely failed and even the spate-irrigated fields could not give 
production unless they receive rains at this stage.

UNICEF and WHO Supports Second Round National Polio Campaign

The Ministry of Health, supported by UNICEF and WHO, conducted the 
second round of the house-to-house national polio immunization days on 
16-19 December. It is Eritrea's first house-tohouse immunization 
campaign. The first round had coverage of over 95 per cent, targeting 
all children under five ye ars, or approximately half a million 
children. Reports from certain areas, indicate that the coverage in the 
second round was at least as high. Polio immunization was complemented 
by Vitamin A distribution.

UNMEE MACC Highlights

The Route Clearance Team (RCT) of MECHEM was deployed on the Ethiopian 
side of the southern adjacent areas of the Temporary Security Zone 
(TSZ). The team cleared 2,069 sq. m. of land and 146 km of road using 
manual and mine detection dogs. The Team has now completed its task in 
Sector Center of the TSZ and will commence demining operations in the 
southern adjacent areas of Sector West in the near future.

The MACC Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team deployed in the subzoba 
of Tsorena in Sector Center to investigate reports of unexploded 
ordnance (UXO) discoveries by the MACC Regional Office in Senafe. The 
Team transported the items, which were designated as 'safe to move' to a 
secure place and marked the unsafe items for future EOD operations. The 
EOD Team also deployed in the Ferasit area of Sector Center and 
conducted Battle Area Clearance (BAC) operations. The Team cleared 400 
UXOs from the area during its deployment.

The MACC Mine Risk Education (MRE) Field Teams continued MRE activities 
in Sector West and Sector Center during the month of December 2005. The 
two teams operated in the subzoba of Lalay Gash in Sector West and in 
the subzoba of Tsorena in Sector Center of the TSZ. The two teams 
visited a number of communities in these areas and provided MRE to a 
total of 2,680 local residents.

Mine/UXO Accidents

There was one UXO incident in the TSZ during December 2005.

The UXO incident occurred on December 13, 2005 in an area 3kms from the 
village of Adi Maelel in Sector West. There were no causalities involved 
in the incident, which was initiated by burning branches in the area.

The MACC immediately deployed the MACC field teams and MECHEM staff to 
the area to investigate facts of the incident. The Preliminary 
Investigation Report (PIR) of the UXO incident was released on 15 
December 2005. (For more information on mine action contact UNMACC 
Eritrea at 291-1-150444)

For Further Information Related to the Humanitarian Update, Please 
contact:

OCHA - Eritrea Public Information Section at 291-1-151666/151888,

Fax: 291-1-151999
E-Mail: gebrehiwots@un.org

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