OCHA Situation Report
Ethiopia
5 February 2007


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

AWD SPREADS TO NEW AREAS

Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD) continues to spread to new areas across the 
country. A worrying AWD outbreak has been reported in Kebridehar woreda 
of Korahe zone, Somali Region. Within a short period of time a total of 
170 cases with four deaths have been reported in the zone. This outbreak 
has changed the route of the disease in the region, which was previously 
confined to Shebelle basin areas. Warder, Fik and Degehabur zones are 
threatened by this outbreak. Absence of clean water supply and poor 
health and sanitation services has exacerbated the outbreak. Limited 
coordination among humanitarian partners and access has constrained 
response and contributed to the spread of the disease. The Regional 
President visited the affected areas last week. The Federal Ministry of 
Health (FMoH) will station a team in Kebridehar hospital for one month. 
The Regional Health Bureau has supplied basic drugs and fluids to the 
affected areas. ACF has also assisted with the provision of three water 
bladders containing 10,000 liters each. MSF Belgium, UNICEF and WHO are 
also providing assistance to the region. In addition, another outbreak 
has been reported in Gewane woreda of Afar Region. To date, 291 cases 
and 7 deaths have been reported from the woreda. This is of major 
concern as a major highway connecting Addis Ababa and the rest of the 
country to the port of Djibouti passes through this woreda. Since the 
outbreak of the disease, Afar Pastoralist Development Association 
(APDA), supported by UNICEF, has been assisting the region in the 
control of the disease. In addition, in response to the regional DPPB's 
request, UNICEF will send material supplies in the coming week. 
Furthermore, AWD has spread to a new zone, Silti, in SNNPR. The total 
number of cases nationwide has reached to 54,646 with 587 deaths. 
Contact: ocha-eth@un.org & igetachew@unicef.org

Asylum Seekers in Somali Region

A UNHCR Emergency Response Team completed its assessment (11-31 January) 
in areas bordering Somalia and debriefed humanitarian partners on their 
findings. According to the team and reports from local authorities, the 
number of asylum seekers in the area is estimated to have reached 7470 
HHs (52,360 people) from April 2006 to January 2007. The asylum seekers 
are located in south eastern zones of Somali Region, including Gode, 
Afder, Liben, and Warder zones. Emergency food and health services are 
among the identified immediate requirements. UNHCR plans a protection 
monitoring presence in Gode zone. It also plans to hold discussions with 
the Ethiopian Government on the potential relocation of those refugees 
in Geladi and Warder to one of the previously closed camps close to 
Jijiga. This plan is contingent on agreement with the Ethiopian 
Government and availability of resources.  For more information contact: 
HQdist@unhcr.org

PROMISING BELG SEASON

The National Meteorological Agency issued a forecast on the outlook of 
the forthcoming belg season in a half-day workshop on 1 February. 
According to the forecast, the performance of the belg rains will be 
favourable due to the progress of a moderate El Nino through March and 
April. Normal onset and cessation of the rains is expected in most parts 
of the country. Conditions are expected to be beneficial for 
agricultural activities and development of both belg and long-cycle 
crops. Water availability is expected to improve for both human and 
livestock consumption and pasture regeneration will be enhanced across 
the country. Localised floods, however, could occur especially in 
flood-prone areas along the basins of Wabishebele, Genale, Dawa, Omo and 
Awash Rivers. Moreover, an upsurge of malaria and water-borne diseases 
including AWD is anticipated and outbreaks of crop pests could occur in 
some pocket areas. For more information contact: wfp.addisababa@wfp.org

CARE Monthly Update

CARE in its January update reports that harvesting has been completed in 
all of its crop growing reporting woredas. Availability of pasture and 
water is also reported to be normal in most places, and the scarcity 
previously reported in Afar has declined due to the 'Fumata' rain 
received last month. Consequently, the food security situation in most 
areas is reported to be normal due to good seasonal crop production. In 
addition, reports from the Community Therapeutic Care (CTC) indicate 
that there is a decline in malnutrition admissions rates in all sites 
including Dire Dawa and Grawa. Meanwhile, preparations to combat malaria 
outbreaks are underway following fears of an outbreak due to the rains. 
For more information contact: care.eth@ethionet.et

Market analysis

According to the latest FEWS Net report, cereal prices in the country 
continue to be high despite the reported bumper harvest. The increase in 
price is partly attributed to a rise in the cost of inputs and augmented 
demand from households, businesses, government and local and foreign 
investors. Higher production costs result in a rise in producer prices 
and hence increase in retail prices. In addition to elevated cereal 
prices, prices of livestock are also generally higher than usual. The 
high price in the lowland areas is partly ascribed to increased demand 
for livestock from local and international markets and partly to 
improved physical condition of livestock resulting from good forage 
availability. Overall productivity of livestock, however, has not yet 
fully recovered from the impacts of the recurrant drought of consecutive 
years particularly in the lowland areas. Contact: aasfaw@fews.net

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