May 21, 2012

Belg/ Gu Assessment Update
The multi-agency, multi-sectoral belg season needs assessment is expected to start on 1 June 2012 in Somali Region, and on 8 June in Afar, Amhara, Oromia, SNNP and Tigray Regions. The belg assessment covers the agricultural areas in the central Ethiopian highlands that receive belg (mid-February to May) rains, as well as agro-pastoralist and pastoralist areas in the eastern and southern lowlands that receive gu/ganna/sugum (April to June) rains. (Full Document)

Price Update

Ethiopia’s year-on-year inflation rate slowed to 29.8 per cent in April from 32.5 per cent in March according to the latest figures released by the Central Statistics Agency. Food price inflation dropped 4.2 per cent to 36.7 per cent, while non-food inflation dropped four fifths a point to 19.6. The inflation rate has trended downwards in March and April, following an unusual spike in February 2012. Prior to February, there had been five months of steadily declining inflation rates since the peak of 40.6 per cent inflation reached in August 2011. (Full Document)

Flood Update

About 702 households in six kebeles of Kalafo woreda and 30 households in four kebeles of Mustahil woreda, Gode zone (Somali) have been affected by flash flooding that occurred on 2 May and require assistance. The flooding caused significant damage, with numerous livestock deaths and damage to planted crops and stored food reported in the affected areas. While both woredas were affected, significantly lower amounts of damage in terms of loss of life and property was recorded in Mustahil woreda, where local authorities actively disseminated early warning on the potential for flash floods and where preventive actions, such as laying sand bags along the Wabishebelle River’s bank, were taken. (Full Document)

Refugee Update

New arrivals from Sudan’s Blue Nile State continue to be received in Beneshangul Gumuz Region, with the last couple months having seen well organized refugee movements, with new arrivals bringing their livestock and large amounts of personal belongings with them. A spike in new arrivals was recorded in April, with some 3,000 people crossing the border into Ethiopia. In the first two weeks of May, meanwhile, an additional 2,000 Sudanese have arrived in the region. (Full Document)