OCHA Situation Report
Ethiopia
15 Aug 2005


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

UPDATE ON EMERGENCY FOOD REQUIREMENT FOR 2005

According to the results of the DPPC-led multi-agency pre-harvest 
belg/gu assessment, conducted between June 23 and July 6, the season was 
favorable in most areas of the country, despite excessive rains in some 
areas and erratic and late rains in others. These rains also extended in 
to the meher season, compensating for the late start to belg rains in 
some areas and dry spells during the growing season. About 3.3 million 
people will continue to need emergency relief assistance for the 
remainder of the 2005. Out of which 471,510 are new beneficiaries due to 
localised failure of the belg harvest;  698,700 are from pastoral areas; 
2 million are those who need a continuation of assistance and 104,821 
are those requiring special emergency assistance due to drought, flash 
floods and localised conflicts. An additional 253,400 tonnes of 
emergency food is required for the remainder of the year. The full 
report is available: www.dppc.gov.et

CRITICAL MALNUTRITION CASES IN KAFTA HUMERA RESETTLEMENT SITE

A nutrition assessment in July conducted by MSF Holland reported 20 
percent Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) and 4.0 percent Severe Acute 
Malnutrition (SAM) among 946 under five children screened by Mid Upper 
Arm Circumference (MUAC) in Kafta Humera, West Tigray resettlement site. 
In response to this critical situation MSF-H is implementing a community 
therapeutic feeding programme. Increasing cases of malnutrition are also 
being reported in Tach Armach resettlement site in North Amhara where 50 
severely malnourished children were found.  Unfortunately it is 
impossible to record the total population as new settlers with their 
families continue to arrive in these resettlement areas. MSF Greece is 
conducting an assessment in the site and will return at the end of the 
week. MSF-H is also planning to conduct a rapid assessment in Olaf and 
Samre woredas of Southern Tigray. For more information contact: 
msfh-ethiopia-medco@field.amesterdam.msf.org

KALU AND DESSIE ZURIA WOREDAS OF SOUTH WOLLO REQUIRE CLOSE FOLLOW-UP

CONCERN has recently conducted a nutrition survey in Kalu and Dessie 
Zuria woredas of South Wollo zone of Amhara Region. The prevalence of 
GAM in Kalu district was reported as 12 percent and SAM as 0.7 percent. 
In Desie Zuria district the GAM was 11.3 percent and SAM 1.0 percent. 
The situation requires close follow-up.  403 children are currently 
registered in CONCERN's Community-based Therapeutic Care programme 
(CTC). The Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission (DPPC)  has 
made July food allocations for Kalu and Dessie Zuria districts and 
distributions are currently on-going. For more information contact: 
ethiopia.cd@concern.net

CARE update in East Hararghe

CARE's July food security update indicates that the main meher rainy 
season has been normal in its nine operating woredas in Oromiya and Afar 
regions with the exception of lowlands of East and West Harerghe zones 
in Oromiya. The food security condition in most reporting areas remains 
normal due to the Safety Net and emergency relief food distributions. 
However, the

situation is still poor in Grawa and Bedeno woredas of East Hararghe. 
CARE's CTC program in East Hararghe reported new admissions of severely 
malnourished children from Kurfa Chelle (15), Grawa (72) and Bedeno 
woredas (83).  CARE recommends distribution of supplementary food with 
the on-going general ration as essential to avoid further deterioration 
of the situation.  Meanwhile, through a loan from WFP, CARE is planning 
to carry out supplementary feeding for two months for 25,000 children in 
Kurfa Chelle, Bedeno and Grawa woredas. The report available: 
www.ocha-eth.org

FHI PROVIDES ONE MONTH FOOD RATION TO IDPS IN FAFEN

Food for the Hungry International Ethiopia (FHI/E) via its local partner 
MCDO started emergency relief operations in Fafen IDP camp in 2002, 
supporting short-term targeted supplementary feeding and non-food 
support programs conducted at different intervals.  Currently the food 
security situation in the region has not shown significant improvement 
discouraging efforts to repatriate the IDPs to their original places. 
Furthermore, stakeholders have been unable to provide them with adequate 
rations while they are living in the camp. Frequent follow-up of the 
situation indicated that apart from the recently terminated feeding 
program by FHI no other food support was reaching the IDPs which is a 
concern for humanitarian agencies.  After the termination of the feeding 
program in June 2005, FHI locally purchased and distributed a one month 
general ration for 1,500 IDP beneficiaries for July. Repeated 
representations to the FDPPC on food for IDPs in the region by OCHA have 
received the response that inclusion of IDPs in regional beneficiary 
lists is the only way to address the problem. Meanwhile UNICEF's 
supplementary feeding through MCDO is operational until end of August. 
NGOs are encouraged to report on progress on this issue from the field. 
fhi.eth@ethionet.et

MALARIA OUTBREAK IN GURADAMOLE IDP CAMPS

MSF-Belgium has been closely monitoring a malaria outbreak that has hit 
the Guradamole IDP camps in Somali Region over the last couple of 
months.  It declared an epidemic on 27 June, when the incidence rate 
reached the critical 0.7 threshold. An increasing number of cases have 
been recorded in the nearby town of Haro Debe, although attack rates are 
higher in the densely populated camps.  Over 1000 people were hit by the 
disease in the Haro Debe area (which includes the three camps, Ereri 
Dawa, Adely and Urgo) between the end of May and end of July, of which 
six cases have led to death.  MSF-B has responded by distributing 1,500 
ITN bed nets to the area over the last two weeks, and is treating all 
cases with either CoArtem, quinine or chloroquine. For more information 
contact: msfb-addis-ababa@brussels.msf.org

JAPAN DONATES US$ 5 MILLION TO UNICEF TO HELP WIPE OUT POLIO AND PREVENT 
THE SPREAD OF MALARIA

The Japanese contribution, the single largest donation to UNICEF for 
disease prevention programmes in Ethiopia, comes as the country braces 
for a possible malaria epidemic later this year. It will also be a vital 
boost to the country's race to contain the spread of the polio virus. 
Ethiopia was on the verge of eradicating polio when a viral strain 
originating in Nigeria was identified near the border with Sudan in 
December 2004. Fourteen additional cases have been identified since 
then. On top of this Japanese generosity, Canada, the UK and US have 
made recent contributions against the 2005 Humanitarian Appeal.  UNICEF 
requires an additional US$36 million for emergency child survival 
interventions. igetachew@unicef.org

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