Initial Summary of Humanitarian Response Planning for 2017

While Ethiopia battles residual needs from the El Niño-induced drought, below average rains in the southern and eastern parts of the country caused by the negative Indian Ocean Dipole have led to new symptoms of drought. There are expectations of an overall strong harvest in northern and western parts of Ethiopia. Livestock deaths and water shortages are already reported from the primarily pastoral affected areas. In addition, disease outbreaks and food and nutritional insecurity persist in few other pocket areas.

This document summarizes the collective achievements of the El Niño response to date, sets out what is already known or anticipated about newly emerging humanitarian needs in 2017, and summarizes the joint Government and humanitarian partners’ response strategy for the coming year. It precedes the 2017 Humanitarian Requirements Document (HRD), expected to be launched by the Government of Ethiopia and humanitarian partners in January 2017.1 The joint Government and humanitarian partners’ meher (main crop season) assessment was launched on 19 November 2016. Some 23 multi-agency teams comprising 228 people deployed to 246 woredas (districts) in all regions of Ethiopia. The assessment will last three weeks, with conclusions expected in mid-December.

The assessment will determine the impact of the kiremt (main rainy season) rains on food security and livelihoods, while also confirming emergency needs in health, education, nutrition, emergency shelter/ non-food items (ES/NFI) and protection. Whilst the joint meher assessment is being conducted, the Government and humanitarian partners are already recalibrating the nationally-led response to address emerging and residual needs. Early warning data and sophisticated modelling by partners have allowed for some needs projections to be established already for 2017.

It is anticipated that some 5.6 million people will require emergency food assistance; some 1.2 million children and pregnant and lactating mothers will require supplementary feeding; some 9.2 million people will not have regular access to safe drinking water; and some 2.4 million households will need livestock support. Partners also estimate that 300,000 children will become severely acutely malnourished in 2017.

The 2015/2016 El Niño has left a negative legacy on many households, including those that lost livestock and other productive assets. This initial summary of humanitarian response planning for 2017 does not cover planned responses to these recovery needs, which are expected to be captured in a separate document.

Detailed sector response plans are being developed by humanitarian partners in collaboration with the concerned Government line ministries, which will be updated on the conclusion of the meher assessment.

These plans – summarized later in this document – will be detailed in the 2017 HRD.

The total anticipated financial requirements for teh 2017 HRD are US$895 million. Read more here