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Ethiopia

Ethiopia Food Security Update, April 2006

Attachments


Summary and Implications
Successive years of drought, failed seasons, livestock losses, elevated staple food prices, and asset depletion have placed about 11 million people this year in the need of humanitarian assistance. Despite significant attention from the Ethiopian government and donors as well as favorable rains during March and early April 2006, food security in southern Somali Region and Borena Zone remain critical. The need for emergency assistance for 2.6 million people will subside in the short run, and shortfalls of cereal food aid will continue to threaten food insecure populations, especially for the coming hunger-period (June to August). Even before taking into account recent increases in the number of people in need of food aid from the re-assessment of needs in pastoral areas, about a 75,000 MT shortfall exists in emergency cereal food aid pledges between June and September. Food aid shortfalls are expected to widen from July onwards. Unless additional cereal food aid pledges are made immediately, delayed food aid delivery will exacerbate the already extreme food insecurity in pastoral areas. Despite a marked increase in non-food interventions, only 36 percent of the funding requirements have been met thus far. Continued efforts to increase the coverage of non-food emergency interventions remain critical. The productive safety net program, which is currently targeting 8.6 million chronically food insecure people, is on-going, albeit with delays of cash transfers.

Seasonal Calendar


Current Hazard Summary

- Failed deyr season rains (October – December) in southern and southeastern parts of the country threaten the lives of millions of pastoralists.

- A shortened meher rainy season (June-September), especially in the east, resulted in a meher crop failure in some eastern lowland areas.

- Cereal prices remain at record high levels and have shown increase in March.

- Tribal conflicts occurred in southern Oromiya and Somali Regions.

Food Security Summary

The timing of food and non-food aid deliveries will continue to be crucial to contain the current crisis and mitigate the risk of starvation that exists, especially in pastoral areas. A DPPA-led multi-agency assessment team reassessed emergency needs in areas of the country where food security conditions are deteriorating beyond their already extreme levels, between 28 March and 12 April. Preliminary results verified increases in food and non-food aid needs which will increase resource shortfalls. Unless these shortfalls are addressed, the crisis is not likely to be brought under control, recovery will be slow and nutrition rates are likely to remain high. In the worst case, shortfalls in assistance could lead to further asset erosion, deterioration in the nutritional situation and consequent distress migration of entire households as food shortages become very serious or life threatening.

The current response in non-food sectors is encouraging as donors are scaling-up their response to the 2006 Humanitarian Appeal. According to UN-OCHA, about 36 percent (close to US$ 40 million) of the US$ 111 million requested have been resourced thus far. Much of this funding is being used to address critical gaps in the current crisis areas of Somali Region and Borena Zone of Oromiya Region for water and sanitation, health and nutrition and livestock health and de-stocking activities. Despite scaled-up and continuous response from donors, pledges continue to fall far short of the huge needs.

Northern zones in Afar Region, southern zones in Somali Region and Borena Zone in Oromiya Region remain the most acutely food insecure areas of the country. The northeastern highlands stretching from belg dependent areas of South and Eastern Tigray region, to eastern Amhara Region (South and North Wello), and into eastern SNNPR and Oromiya remain chronically food insecure (see Figure 1).


Figure 1: Percentage of Population Needing Humanitarian Assistance in 2006 (Emergency + PSNP)

Data source: Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Agency (DPPA) and Food Security Coordination Bureau (FSCB). Graphics by FEWS NET.

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