Ethiopia is home to thousands of refugees, mainly from Sudan, Somalia, and Eritrea who have fled fighting or drought in their own countries.  An estimated 1.4 million people require humanitarian assistance. Currently, over 640,000 people in Ogaden require urgent humanitarian assistance, with food, medical supplies and water being the main priorities. More than 50,000 people in 5 regions were diagnosed with Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD) in 2006. Ethiopia has a population of 71.3 million people. The population growth rate is 1.8 percent a year according to the World Bank.

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CERF allocates US$ 2.3 million for response to humanitarian needs in Ethiopia's Somali region

The Somali region is one of the four least developed regions of Ethiopia in terms of access to essential services and food security. The delivery of food aid in the Somali region is complex because of ongoing military operations, lack of proper road and telecommunication infrastructure, unfavorable climatic conditions and security in general.

Restrictions in access led to delays in the delivery of food aid to the area. A CERF grant is enabling World Food Programme (WFP) to support its government counterpart, responsible for the delivery of aid. WFP will set up ten mobile warehouse tents, equipped with radio communication systems, to support the monitoring of food transport and storage for some 600,000 beneficiaries in the region.

These boys face an uncertain future [Photo: IRIN]

In addition, malnutrition and communicable diseases remain the major health challenges in the Somali region. Chronically food-insecure, the area is prone to outbreaks of measles, meningitis and viral hemorrhagic fevers. Access to health care is dramatically insufficient. A World Health Organization (WHO) project, using a CERF grant, is seeking to reduce the risk of an outbreak of communicable diseases, in particular acute watery diarrhoea (AWD). The UN agency is providing essential drugs and other medical supplies to health facilities and strengthening the disease surveillance and reporting system.

According to a 2006 report, almost a quarter of deaths occur during childbirth in the Somali region. With CERF funding, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) is aiming to improve delivery practices by distributing reproductive health commodities and supplying basic training. In order to treat rape cases it is providing drugs and rapid training to health staff, while conducting awareness campaigns at the community level.

As lead agency of the logistics and telecommunications cluster, WFP is using CERF funding to establish two common UN temporary outposts in order to provide food aid, nutrition, agricultural and water and sanitation assistance to 640,000 beneficiaries in five zones of the Somali region. In addition, it is setting up an inter-agency emergency communications system to enhance the safety of UN staff and the timely flow of critical information from the field to the capital.

 [Last Update:10 January 2008]

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CERF allocates a further US$ 700,000 to WHO to stop the spread of acute watery diarrhoea in Somali Region of Ethiopia

Emergency assistance is currently being provided by national authorities and various partners including the World Health Organization (WHO) to stop the spread of an acute watery diarrhoea epidemic but it continues to spread to new zones. Needs assessments have been carried out by the Federal and regional health authorities, WHO, UN agencies, and NGOs, which have identified scarcity and poor quality of water, violent conflict, insecurity, and poor communications as some of the causes for the spread of the epidemic.

CERF funds will support WHO's response to identify gaps, prioritise actions and implementing an appropriate health response whilst providing essential drugs and medical and laboratory supplies to stop the spread of the disease. WHO will continue to support and strengthen disease surveillance as well as improving awareness raising amongst the communities. The disease surveillance and prevention will be strengthened with a special focus on the acute watery diarrhoea epidemic.

Ethiopians are in need of assistance against disease [Photo: IRIN]

Local health systems run by national authorities and NGOs with life-saving essential drugs, continuous surveillance, and assessment of disease threats in the affected districts, provision of strong technical assistance and establishing effective control measures through improved case management (early case detection and reporting) will be supported by the CERF funds.

Malnutrition and communicable diseases remain the major health challenges in Ethiopia's Somali Region. The 2005 Demographic Health Survey recorded a prevalence of iron-deficient anemia as high as 85 percent among children under five - the highest rate in Ethiopia.

Chronically food-insecure, the area is prone to outbreaks of measles, meningitis, and viral hemorrhagic fevers. Mortality, especially among children under five, is unacceptably high and access to health care is dramatically insufficient. Health coverage is estimated at 34 percent while the immunization coverage is less than 10 percent. Geographical inaccessibility and shortages of health workers and essential drugs lead to a very low utilization of health services. Armed violence and insecurity limit greatly humanitarian access and the Government of Ethiopia has therefore agreed with the humanitarian agencies to ensure military escort for the delivery of assistance.

 [Last Update: 21 December 2007]

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CERF allocates US$ 900,000 to ensure life-saving activities reach Ethiopians in remote areas

The Somali region of Ethiopia, is one of the poorest regions in the country and one plagued by droughts, flood and food insecurity. Malnutrition accounts for 8 percent of all deaths and death in childbirths accounts for 23 % of all mortalities.  The recent escalation of hostilities between the Ethiopian forces and Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) has led to a deterioration of the humanitarian situation affecting 1.4 million people. The UN is using CERF funding  in order to facilitate efficient and coordinated life saving activities to assist over 640,000 people in Degehabur, Korahe, Fik, Warder and Gode zones through the provision of food aid, health and nutrition, water, sanitation and livelihood interventions for three months. Furthermore, with WFP as the lead agency, FAO, OCHA, UNDSS, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNDP, and WHO are coordinating to create two common UN premises in the Somali region. Implementation of the project will take place jointly with United Nations agencies, in collaboration with the Ethiopian Government and NGOs.

Women in the remote Somali region of Ethiopia. [Photo: IRIN]

The project activities include the creation of two common UN temporary outposts in Degahabur and Kebridahar to ensure the delivery of nutrition, water, food aid, and agricultural assistance and the establishment of a common UN inter-agency emergency telecommunication system, based on the UNDSS minimum Operational Security Standards (MOSS), to ensure safety of UN staff and ensure timely flow of critical information from the field to Addis Ababa. Other activities include the immediate deployment of UN staff to allow the monitoring of food aid dispatches and distributions as well as health, nutrition, water, sanitation, and livelihoods interventions to ensure services get to the intended beneficiaries. UN agencies will also advocate for free and unimpeded humanitarian access, increased UN and NGO presence, and respect for humanitarian principles while ensuring smooth logistic arrangements for staff and relief items including food aid. Agencies will carry out humanitarian assessments in the surrounding areas from the support center bases. The improved coordination will ensure faster responses by UN agencies to humanitarian challenges faced by Ethiopians in the Somali region.    

 [Last Update: 2 December 2007]

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CERF allocates more than US$ 1 million to assist Somali refugees in Ethiopia

The deteriorating political and security situation in South-Central Somalia has forced thousands of Somalis to seek asylum in Ethiopia since January 2007, and the influx has steadily increased as the political situation in Somalia is worsening.

As the humanitarian agencies, including UNHCR Somalia struggle to reach the vulnerable IDPs and assist them inside Somalia, it became clear that the the enormous security and humanitarian gaps are increasing..  Because of the political insecurity, an increasing number of Somalis are opting to seek immediate refuge in Ethiopia, mostly moving into Gode and Dolo (southeast) and Hartisheik and Kebribeyah (northeast).

Ethiopia has its own ethnic Somalis [Photo: Lea Westerhoff/IRIN]

CERF has thus allocated $1,100,730 to UNHCR to assist an estimated 20,000 Somali refugees that have arrived in North-Eastern Ethiopia (Hartisheik and Kebribeyah) and southeastern Ethiopia (Gode and Dolo). In both areas, the local population has been sharing their meager resources with the newly arrived refugees since the emergency started. Rapid action is required to avoid a further deterioration in the situation.

In northeastern Ethiopia, approximately 4,000 Somali refugees/asylum-seekers arrived in the former refugee camp site in Hartisheik and the existing camp in Kebribeyah and are currently going through a rigorous verification process jointly being conducted by the Ethiopian Government and UNHCR. Upon completion of this verification process, UNHCR will assist the confirmed refugees.

In the south, the Ethiopian Government has agreed to community-based assistance for the estimated 16,000 new arrivals as the asylum seekers in Gode and the Dolo area that are being hosted by the local communities. Humanitarian agencies on the ground will be fully engaged in helping the host communities in the water/sanitation, health, education and community services sectors.

The funds will enable UNHCR to provide transportation of non-food items for approximately 20,000 refugees, relocation of more than 3,000 new arrivals from Kebribeyah and Hartisheik to Teferi Ber (the new camp site).

It will also be possible for UNCHR to provide plastic sheeting, kitchen sets, soap, sanitary napkins, fuel for cooking, jerry cans (one per a family of five), blankets (two per family of five) and mosquito nets for 3,000 refugees in Teferi Ber and 3,200 vulnerable persons in Gode area (20 percent of the total population reported are assumed to be vulnerable). The funds will also rehabilitate ten existing shallows in Teferi Ber and construct 150 communal pit latrines and six waste disposal pits in Teferi Ber camp.  Additionally, primary health care will be provided to all new arrivals while all new arrivals in Hartisheik are registered and issued with refugee status attestations and ration cards.

[Last Update: 18 June 2007]

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CERF allocates $2.8 million to underfunded activities in Ethiopia

1 August 2007: CERF allocates USD 3 million to Ethiopia as part of the second underfunded allocation in 2007. Despite the improved food security prospects, due primarily to above average rainfall, an estimated 1.36 million people will require emergency food assistance, due to the severe impacts of flooding and localized agricultural production failure. The majority of food aid requirements are in the regions of Somali (70%) and Oromiya (20%). The total emergency food required for the year is estimated to be 150,580 MT, of which 90,000 MT is considered to be carry-over pledges and stock from 2006, leaving a net requirement of 60,580 MT.

A woman buys firewood at a market in Addis Ababa, May 2007 [Photo: IRIN/Deghati]

 Disease outbreaks remain extremely concerning, including Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD), meningitis and malaria, and acute malnutrition in food insecure areas of the country requires continued attention. More than 50,000 people in 5 regions were diagnosed with AWD in 2006 and an additional 10,000 have been affected since January 2007 in four regions (Somali, Afar, SNNP and Oromiya). As flooding continues to occur, the risk of AWD is exacerbated, and there is a need for an urgent response. However, the lack of adequate water and sanitation in affected areas has been a major reason for the continued spread of AWD. To date, flooding has affected more than 180,000 people, while displacing 41,000 in 5 regions.

 

The CERF grant of $ 900,003.75 to WFP will allow for the rehabilitation of 70,800 acutely moderately malnourished children under 5 and pregnant/lactating women through Targeted Supplementary Food (TSF). TSF is a life-saving nutritious fortified blended food and fortified vegetable oil for identified moderately malnourished children and women. The moderate acute malnutrition prevalence ranges between 6.5% and 23.5% in the 10 regions targeted.

UNFPA will utilise the CERF grant of $120,000.50 to reduce morbidity and mortality due to AWD by empowering 100,000 mothers to control the spread of AWD through hygiene and sanitation education, and provision of basic commodities such as soap and water purification tablets and train health workers.

WHO’s CERF grant of $600,000 will improve AWD case management through the provision of technical assistance to government, training of health workers, essential drugs and medical supplies, enhanced detection, reporting and timely response measures while UNICEF, with a total CERF grant of $1.2 million, the agency will provide AWD emergency response measures in Amhara, Oromiya and SNNPR regions, and under a separate project, will provide AWD child survival response.

The AWD emergency response measures in Amhara, Oromiya and SNNPR regions will support the management of the outbreak of AWD through provision of safe drinking water supply, sanitation promotion and hygiene education to a total of 100,000 people. This project will target 300,000 persons through the provision of supplies to 30 Case Treatment Centres (CTCs) in affected areas to provide early and prompt treatment with proper isolation, containment and disinfection facilities (as AWD is highly contagious). The project will also distribute re-hydration supplies to health facilities and CTCs as a life saving measure.

UNICEF’s child survival activities will utilise CERF funds primarily to implement live saving interventions and when possible, AWD control and preventive activities will also be implemented through provision of safe drinking water, improved sanitation conditions and increased hygiene awareness to reinforce long term impact.

Due to the recent security developments in the Ogaden (Somali Regional State), and the planned immediate humanitarian intervention by UN agencies, UNDSS will - with a grant of $178,758 from the CERF - enable these operations through enhanced delivery of security and safety services to the humanitarian agencies.

[Last Update: 5 November 2007]

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CERF responds to underfunded humanitarian interventions

Despite the improved food security prospects, due primarily to above average rainfall, an estimated 1.36 million people will require emergency food assistance in Ethiopia in 2007 because of the severe impacts of flooding, localized agricultural production failure and other shocks.

Disease outbreaks remain extremely concerning, including Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD), meningitis and malaria, and acute malnutrition in food insecure areas of the country requires continued attention. The majority of food aid requirements are in Somali (70 percent) and Oromiya (20 percent).  More than 50,000 people in five regions were diagnosed with AWD in 2006 and an additional 10,000 have been affected since January 2007 in four regions (Somali, Afar, SNNP and Oromiya).  Some 1.2 million people are considered to be at risk of AWD and 240,000 are at risk of meningitis.  The lack of adequate water and sanitation in affected areas has been a major reason for the continued spread of AWD.

An 80-year-old woman cradles her malnourished grandson near Afder, southern Ethiopia. More than 14 million people in the region face chronic food insecurity, through poverty, conflicts and droughts. [Photo: IRIN]

Localized conflict and severe flooding have also displaced more than 100,000 people, who still require assistance and approximately 100,000 refugees (old caseload) remain in the country and continue to need camp based assistance.  Approximately 40-000 to 50,000 new refugees are reported by the Government to have entered Ethiopia (Somali Region) from Somalia in the past year.  Most have thus far temporarily sought refuge with their own clan groups.  Security concerns and humanitarian access in Somali Regional State and in South Oromiya Regional State have become increasingly problematic during 2006 and into 2007. 

Priority humanitarian actions are necessary for targeted assistance to address AWD, meningitis and acute malnutrition in areas most severely affected and for populations most at risk.  With a lack of funding for these activities early in the year, the impact of not addressing these needs now will be a very likely increase in AWD and meningitis cases and deaths, increased acute severe malnutrition both among the general vulnerable population in affected areas and among refugees.  Area assessments are also being carried out to prioritize and target food aid assistance, which are required to verify results of the November/December national food needs assessment.

The CERF grant, totaling USD 5 million, for under-funded emergencies for Ethiopia will be used to address critical life-saving needs and support in the water and sanitation sector with the focus on control of Acute Watery Diarrhea.  The other sectors are health and nutrition, with a focus likewise on acute water diarrhea and acute severe malnutrition, multi-sectoral assistance to refugees, and support of UN security operations in the Somali Region and the Borena Zone of Oromiya Region..

With the CERF grant, UNICEF, WHO, WFP and UNHCR will provide urgent and critical services in these sectors.

WHO and UNICEF, will support the emergency response to outbreaks of AWD, including surveillance, treatment, as well as the provision of drugs. UNHCR and WFP will provide protection and assistance, including emergency food assistance, to Somalia refugees in eastern Ethiopia, as well as to Sudanese and Eritrean refugees.

A security project will be implemented by UNDSS, which is critical to ensure access and operational support in the Somali region.

One third of all funds from the Central Emergency Response Fund is earmarked for use in underfunded emergencies, in order to help redress imbalances in global aid distribution, as a result of which millions of people in so-called neglected or forgotten crises remain in need.

 [Last update: 12 April 2007]

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CERF in Ethiopia 2006

CERF third underfunded allocation in Central and East Africa

OCHA in Ethiopia

Download the 2007 Consolidated Appeal for Ethiopia: PDF