OCHA Situation Report
Horn of Africa: Alert
19 September 2008


Source:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Overview & Resource Gaps

The Horn of Africa is facing a humanitarian emergency, with as many as 17 
million people requiring urgent emergency assistance over the coming 
months.1 A crippling drought, combined with soaring food prices, threatens 
the lives, health and livelihoods of millions of vulnerable people in 
rural and urban areas, many of whom already live on the margins of 
survival due to chronic poverty, displacement exacerbated in some places 
by conflict.

The recurrence of drought in Africa's Horn has progressively eroded 
livelihoods and community coping mechanisms. However, this year, its 
effects are amplified by unprecedented food price increases, and in some 
places, levels of conflict not seen since the 1990s. These factors 
seriously compound the complexity of the situation and the capacity of 
governments and aid agencies to respond.

The situation is critical in parts of Ethiopia, Somalia and Djibouti, and 
is seriously deteriorating in Eritrea, northern Kenya and northeastern 
Uganda (Karamoja). It is estimated that the combined needs for the 
response in the Horn of Africa have totalled USD 1.4 billion, of which USD 
716 million is still needed for the period October to December 2008.

As one of the most food insecure sub-regions in the world, and a 
population that has doubled since 1974, the Horn of Africa has endured 
several crises related to drought and serious food insecurity. Governments 
in the region have made significant progress in promoting greater food 
security and economic growth, and in preparing for climate and other 
shocks. However, the severity of the current situation threatens to 
overwhelm such measures, and put at risk progress made.

ETHIOPIA: Deepening food insecurity in Ethiopia is fuelled by drought; 
adverse market shocks triggered by massive increases in food and fuel 
prices; and limited availability of food stocks in local markets. After 
the successive failures of seasonal rains beginning in December 2007 and 
extending to mid June 2008, the food security situation has deteriorated 
to alarming levels in the southern and southeastern parts of the country, 
where global and severe acute malnutrition rates have already increased 
considerably. By March 2008, inflation of food prices in the country had 
reached 46.9%.

The number of vulnerable people targeted for emergency support increased 
from 2.2 million in April, to 4.6 million in June, and was revised again 
this week to 6.4 million persons. A further 5.7 million persons in 
drought-affected areas receive support through the Productive Safety Net 
Programme (PSNP). The worst affected areas are Southern Nations, 
Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR), Somali region and Oromiya, with 
hotspots in Afar, Amhara, and Tigray regions. In parts of SNNPR, the rate 
of child Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM)2 escalated from 0.2 % in February 
to 3.2 % in less than two months. In Somali region, the effects of the 
drought are at their most acute, and the government has increased the 
number of beneficiaries in need of emergency relief assistance by more 
than 50 percent, from 1.2 to 1.9 million persons. With high livestock 
morbidity and mortality, the livelihoods of pastoralist communities are 
being lost overnight. In the Ogaden areas of Somali Region, 
conflict-related insecurity further erodes the population's ability to 
withstand the impact of the drought. It is feared that if the Deyer rains 
(Oct-Dec) are poor, the situation will worsen still and persist well into 
2009 until the Gu rains in April-May 2009.

Despite effective emergency food and nutritional interventions in some 
areas, and the advent of rains in June and July, which has enabled crop 
production to recover in part in some areas of the southern regions, the 
nutritional status of vulnerable populations in mostly rural regions is 
expected to remain critical until the end of the year. The weakened 
population is further susceptible to diseases, requiring emergency health 
care support. Based on the results of the seasonal food security 
assessment, the Government revised the figure of those in need of 
emergency assistance, at least until the end of the year, to 6.4 million 
people.

Immediate emergency relief interventions are critically needed. The 
shortfall in resources has had a clear impact on the population, as seen 
in the reduced food rations since July 2008. The Government is working 
closely with humanitarian partners to strengthen the response, but serious 
capacity and resource constraints exist. Out of an estimated total need of 
USD 500 million, (which includes the current Ethiopia Revised Humanitarian 
Requirement - June 2008), only half of needed resources have been secured. 
The known resource shortfall for emergency assistance amounts to $260 
million, comprising of USD 225 million for food aid, and at least $35 
million for emergency nutrition, health and water needs, through December 
2008. WFP also has reported a longer term financing gap of $465 million 
through April 2009.

Attachment:
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/retrieveattachments?openagent&docidn6B3E5AFD01819C852574C900697499&file=Full_Report.pdf

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