OCHA Situation Report
Eritrea
30 September 2005


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

HIGHLIGHTS

Eritrea has received 61% of the required US $156.4 million of the 
Consolidated Appeal Process (CAP) for 2005. The food sector has received 
pledges meeting 70% of requirements, while the non-food sectors have 
resourced US$ 15.3 million or 37.4% of the total US$ 41 million for the 
year. Low funding has resulted in reduced recovery activities with water 
and sanitation, food security and child protection activities 
particularly.

The performance of 'kremti' rains in the month of September has been 
reported as positive, and the government will conduct a crop and food 
supply assessment in the next months to determine the overall 
agricultural yields. Pending this result, the needs of a humanitarian 
appeal and its nature will be discussed and if required, launched at the 
beginning of next year.

Despite positive environmental conditions, preliminary results of 
nutrition surveys conducted in the past months by the Ministry of Health 
(MOH) have shown a slow recovery process to date. A continuation of high 
levels of malnutrition (over 15% Global Acute Malnutrition) among women 
and children still exists in many sub provinces in the country, 
particularly in central and central east regions of Anseba and in the 
southwestern areas of Gash Barka.

The findings reveal a correlation between reduced supplementary feeding 
programmes and higher prevalence of malnutrition. Special food resources 
have dwindled for the MOH supplementary feeding programmes in the past 
six months, with negative impact on the government's ability to 
rehabilitate the malnourished. An inter-agency investigatory field 
assessment on the underlying causes of high malnutrition has revealed 
that loss of livestock during the last years through distress sales, and 
poor livelihood options have contributed to high household food 
insecurity and reduced coping mechanisms. Programmes supporting income 
generation, micro-credit and 'restocking' of livestock are needed to 
better prevent malnutrition.

The Government is advocating for a shift from free food aid distribution 
to modalities that will generate self-reliance and income for those 
citizens who are able to contribute their labour. The prospects for the 
coming harvest seem better than in the past five years and the new food 
aid policy reflects a desire to control the negative impact of food aid 
on farmers' producer prices, as well as to reduce dependency on food aid 
donations. The transition to this programme has caused delays in the 
food distributions to vulnerable groups, and aid agencies have urged a 
resumption of distribution to beneficiaries in greatest need.

The launching of the Human Development Report - 2005 was organized by 
UNDP on 16 September 2005. The meeting was jointly chaired the Minister 
of National Development and the UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator. 
The report focussed on the importance of peace and security, fair trade 
and better-targeted and increased aid, to allow the Millennium 
Development Goals (MDGs) to be achieved. The country's accomplishments 
in social sector indicators such as reduction of infant mortality as 
well as positive trends in school enrolment were noted. Eritrea stood 
161st out of 177 countries reported.

The UN Network on Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) has 
been established and has created a strategy for ensuring dissemination 
of the Secretary General's policy - which extends to all agencies - 
government or non - that implement UN programmes. The policy advocates a 
zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse and creates a reporting 
system and disciplinary actions accordingly.

WFP Programmes - launching of a new PRRO

The Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation (PRRO 10192.1) "Food 
Assistance to Malnourished and Food Insecure Populations" approved by 
WFP Executive Board last June, started implementation on 1 September 
2005. The project will provide food assistance to some 1.26 million 
people countrywide for a period of two years.

In August, 5,168 MT of general food were released for distribution to 
430,688 drought-affected persons in Anseba, Debub, Gash Barka and Maekel 
provinces. In September, WFP food aid was released for IDPs only. About 
2,154 MT have been distributed to 210 schools to support school feeding 
activities in the country. These distributions will benefit 97,000 
students for the period September-November 2005. For rehabilitating 
severely malnourished children, WFP provided 31 MT of mixed food 
commodities under the therapeutic feeding programme in 26 centres in 
Gash Barka, Debub and Anseba provinces. In addition, 281 MT were 
released in support of 7,800 people affected by HIV/AIDS in Maekel, 
Anseba and Debub. The food was distributed through the Ministry of 
Health in collaboration with the Association for People Living with 
HIV/AIDS - BIDHO-HAMSET- and the Evangelical Church of Eritrea.

UNICEF and WHO Supports Ministry of Health for Polio Immunization 
Campaign

Since 1997, the Ministry of Health confirmed Eritrea's first 
poliomyelitis (polio) case in July. With this confirmation, Eritrea is 
one of ten previously polio-free countries, which have been re- 
infected. Polio is one of the vaccine -preventable diseases threatening 
the health and well being of children. To prevent the re-establishment 
of the disease in the Horn of Africa, immunization campaigns will cover 
34 million children in eight countries as part of the Global Eradication 
Initiative. This is supported by WHO, Rotary International, the CDC of 
the US government, and UNICEF. In Eritrea, the first round of an 
extensive polio immunization campaign is scheduled for mid-November 
(11-14 November) and will be conducted by the Ministry of Health 
supported by UNICEF and WHO. The second round is scheduled 16-18 
December 2005. An estimated 460,000 children under five years are 
expected to be reach by this house-to-house vaccination campaign. As 
recommended by WHO, 'monovalent oral polio vaccine - type 1' will be 
used.

UNICEF has made Vitamin A capsules available to be supplemented to 
children during the second round vaccination of December.

FAO continues seed multiplication and distribution to poor farmers

During the month of September, FAO emergency unit has been monitoring 
the activities of the seed multiplication project in Tesseney Sub-zone 
in Gash Barka Region. The total hectare being cultivated under the 
project is 235 of which 135-hectare of sorghum and 100 hectare of pearl 
millet. The first session of training on seed multiplication techniques 
targeting 25 farmers under the seed multiplication program has started 
26 September and will commence until 2 October 2005. A distribution of 
assorted vegetables seeds is also on going, and thus far has provided 
8,204 of vegetable kits to all the Regions of Eritrea. In addition, 9, 
000 sickles and 10 ton of maize (Katumani variety) has also been 
distributed to Gash Barka Region.

UNMEE MACC HIGHLIGHTS

In August 2005, in his progress report to the UN Security Council, the 
Secretary-General recommended to the UN Security Council: '-given the 
progress made in integrating de-mining operations in the Mission area, 
and in view of the difficulties facing the Eritrean national de-mining 
programme, as well as the fact that de-mining support to the EEBC 
remains on hold, - UNMEE [should] assist the parties in continuing 
cooperation with other international partners in the mine action sector, 
by providing humanitarian de -mining assistance in and around the 
Temporary Security Zone (TSZ), technical advice and coordination.'

The Security Council approved this recommendation in its Resolution 1622 
on 13 September 2005, expanding UNMEE's mandate to include the 
responsibility to conduct humanitarian mine action operations.

The Integrated Demining Capacity (IDC) Team of MECHEM and the Kenyan 
Engineering Company conducted clearance operations in the Grat Mariam 
and Mekarin Bayre minefields in Sector West of the TSZ. The Bangladeshi 
demining contingent also operated in Sector West in the areas of Birar - 
Dase and Barentu. The Kenyan and Bangladeshi demining teams conducted 
operations in an area of 287,051 square meters .

After completing a road clearance task in Sector East at the beginning 
of the month, MECHEM's Route Clearance Team (RCT) commenced road 
clearance operations in the Tsorena area of Sector Center. The Team 
cleared 58 kilometers of road.

The MACC Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) Team deployed to Sector East 
and Center where they destroyed 284 unexploded ordnances (UXOs) and five 
anti-personnel (AP) mines.

The two MACC Mine Risk Education (MRE) Teams visited communities in 
Sector Center and West. The teams provided MRE to 2,203 residents of 
mine affected areas.

There were no reports of landmine or UXO accidents during September 
2005.

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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