OCHA Situation Report
Ethiopia
22 October 2007


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

SOMALI REGION RESPONSE PLANNING PROGRESS

The Government has agreed to the establishment of two new joint UN 
support offices in Kebridehar and Degehabur towns in order to strengthen 
monitoring and humanitarian assistance to affected zones in Somali 
Region. DPPA and OCHA on behalf of the UN Humanitarian Coordinator are 
coordinating the effort. Operational plans for sectoral responses are 
currently under preparation by UN agencies and federal ministries. In 
order to ensure that logistics requirements are in place for the timely 
delivery of relief food and non-food items, a logistics coordination 
committee has been established at federal level, comprised of the DPPA, 
the Road Transport Authority, the Ministry of Defense and other 
ministries. The Government's Emergency Transport Fleet will be deployed 
to less accessible areas, and pre-positioning of food will be considered 
in view of the current deyr rainy season from October to December. 
Meanwhile, the transportation of June's relief food allocation continues 
with a total of 1,000 tonnes of food remaining to be transported to the 
five zones under the military operation. WFP and DPPA are currently 
working on a new allocation plan for affected areas. For more 
information contact:  ocha-eth@un.org & wfp.addisababa@wfp.org

AWD UPDATE

Recent reports indicate an AWD outbreak in Dangur and Mandura woredas of 
Metekel zone, Benishangul Gumuz Region, which had previously been 
unaffected. Increased numbers of cases are also reported from Arsi zone 
in Oromiya Region, where 21 of the 25 woredas are reporting cases. Three 
new woredas - Menasha, Lokia Abaya and Dale were also newly affected in 
Sidama zone, SNNPR. AWD is currently reported from Amhara, Afar, 
Oromiya, SNNP, Somali and Benishangul Gumuz Regions.  WHO has deployed a 
consultant to Benishangul Gumuz to provide technical assistance and 
assess the situation. Meanwhile, WHO Surveillance officers in 
collaboration with UNICEF are supporting Arsi Zonal Health Bureau, 
Oromiya Region in the provision of AWD prevention and control training 
to woreda health office heads and health professionals. For further 
information contact: who-wro@et.afro.int

OCHA CONDUCTS HRF AND CERF AWARENESS RAISING WORKSHOP

A half day awareness raising workshop on the operations of the 
Humanitarian Response Fund (HRF) and the Central Emergency Response Fund 
(CERF) took place on 18 October. The workshop, facilitated by OCHA, 
aimed to increase awareness among humanitarian partners on the principle 
objective of the funds, their main areas of intervention, availability 
of resources and guidelines and criteria for eligibility of funding. The 
workshop also addressed key issues of monitoring and evaluation as well 
as financial and audit requirements. Extending the scope the HRF to 
address protection, rapid assessment, and possible direct funding for 
local NGOs were among other major issues addressed. Participants 
included NGOs, UN and government representatives to ensure equitable 
access to all humanitarian partners. Since 2006, the HRF and CERF have 
allocated approximately US$ 18 million and US$ 20 million respectively, 
towards emergency needs in Ethiopia. For more information contact: 
ocha-eth@un.org

VERIFICATION ASSESSMENT IN BORENA AND GUJI ZONES

A DPPA-led joint verification assessment conducted in the lowland 
woredas of Borena and Guji zones from 29 September to 16 October 2007 
indicates a deteriorating food security situation due to the poor 
performance of ganna and hagaya seasons. The physical condition of 
livestock in Moyale, Dirre, Dillo, Dhas woredas, and parts of Arero 
woredas in Borena zone have been severely affected. Crop production has 
also significantly failed and increased cases of malnutrition, 
particularly in in Moyale woreda, Borena Zone was observed. Pastoralist 
livelihoods are also of concern due to unfavorable market conditions. 
Prices of livestock have decreased and accessibility of markets is 
constrained by long distances to reach the market points. Local coping 
mechanisms in Borena have reportedly weakened. Prices of food grain, on 
the other hand, have shown signs of increase. Preliminary findings of 
the assessment indicate that approximately 91,000 people in the five 
woredas in Borena zone need emergency relief assistance including food 
aid and water interventions for the coming three months. For more 
information contact: ocha-eth@un.org

VAM UPDATE

A recent field monitoring report by a WFP Dire Dawa Sub Office indicates 
increased relief food needs in all seven highland kebeles of Grawa 
woreda in East Hararghe zone. These needs have not been addressed thus 
far. Reports indicate that the residents in these kebeles are migrating 
to neighbouring towns in search of employment as daily labourers.  For 
more information contact: wfp.addisababa@wfp.org

EOS/TSF UPDATE

Screening for the Enhanced Outreach Strategy (EOS) for Child Survival is 
expected to commence in most regions in November. Critical funding 
shortages, however, continue to be a challenge for the availability of 
therapeutic supplementary feeding (TSF) which is an important component 
of the strategy. In Somali Region, screening has not taken place in 
areas outside of Kebribeyah woreda since December 2006 due to the 
security situation. In such other regions as Tigray and Oromiya, TSF 
distribution is ongoing and has been completed in Konso and Gurage zones 
of SNNPR. In Afar Region, approximately 80 percent of the allocated TSF 
has been distributed. Dispatch is also commencing in Gambella and 
Beneshangul Gumuz regions. For more information contact: 
wfp.addisababa@wfp.org

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