OCHA Situation Report
Ethiopia
Extended Dry Season in Lowland Agro-Pastoral
Lowland Areas of Oromiya Region
11 Mar 2008


Source:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

The deteriorating situation with regard to human health, food security, 
livelihoods, and livestock health initially reported in Borena zone has 
spread to Bale, East Hararghe, Guji and Liben zones of Oromiya Region. 
Poorly performing rains for the upcoming rainy season forecasted by the 
National Meteorological Agency are likely to exacerbate the existing 
situation in the lowland agro-pastoral areas of Oromiya Region. In 
addition to the situation in Oromiya Region, UN agencies and humanitarian 
partners have reported the emergence of hotspots in SNNPR in the following 
zones; Gamogofa, Hadiya, Kenbata, Sidama, South Omo and Welayita. An 
estimated 88,000 people in affected woredas in Borena zone require 
emergency assistance from government, humanitarian partners and UN 
agencies. This estimate is expected to be revised when the requirements of 
communities in Arero, Teltele and Yabello are taken into consideration. 
Recent field assessments have identified additional beneficiaries in Bale 
and Guji zones of Oromiya Region who will require emergency food 
assistance over the next four months. WFP field officers on the ground 
report rapid deterioration of the food security situation in East Hararghe 
zone with serious food shortages in Midhega Tola, Chenaksen, Kurfa Chelle, 
Metta and Bedeno woredas.

OCHA assessment teams have documented a steadily increasing number of 
livestock deaths due to limited availability of grazing land for pasture 
and lack of water. Water shortages have reached a critical level and 
majority of water sources (traditional wells, boreholes, cisterns, ponds, 
rivers) are drying up leaving communities extremely vulnerable to 
deterioration of health and loss of livestock. WFP report serious water 
shortages in Babile, Gursum, Meyu Muluke,

Gole Oda woredas of East Hararghe zone. Humanitarian partners working in 
SNNPR report critical water shortages in Boricha and Loka Abaya woredas in 
Sidama zone and Bedawocho woreda in Hadiya zone. UN agencies and NGOs have 
been alerted to increased level of migration by pastoralist communities in 
search of water and grazing pasture for livestock in the Oromiya region. 
According to information shared at the Regional Emergency Coordination 
meeting in Borena zone, 29 schools in the eight affected woredas have been 
forced to close due to water shortages and approximately 3700 children 
have dropped out of full-time education.

Humanitarian partners attribute outbreak of bush and forest fires in Bale 
and Guji zones to extended dry conditions in the region. The extended dry 
season is already beginning to have serious consequences for human health 
in the region. Health partners and child protection agencies are 
particularly concerned about nutritional consequences of poor livestock 
condition upon children and vulnerable groups.

Health officials highlight urgent need for the supplementary feeding 
programmes in order to avert malnutrition of children, nursing mothers and 
pregnant women in Adola, Girja, Liben, Odo Shakiso and Wadera woredas of 
Guji zone. The Regional Health Bureau and health partners are already 
contending with outbreak of measles in the region with the measles 
outbreak already affecting a number of communities living in Hambela, 
Kercha and Odo Shakiso woredas in the Guji zone. Measles cases have been 
reported in four woredas in Borena zone. WHO have reported a number of 
sporadic cases of Meningitis in Oromiya Region.

Attachments: 
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/retrieveattachments?openagent&docid=DDDE799029DA3C89C125740900515733&file=Full_report.pdf

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