Ethiopia Weekly Humanitarian Bulletin, 05 June 2017

Key Issues

• A High-Level Partnership Mission to the Horn of Africa to visit Ethiopia and Somalia

• DPFSA Requested for humanitarian assistance to 2,395 flood-displaced persons

• Malnutrition looms in drought affected communities as food pipeline breaks at end of June

Following poor performing spring rains, the number of people receiving humanitarian assistance has increased from 5.6 million to 7.78 million in the first quarter of the year, and is expected to heighten further in the second half of the year. Increased funding is needed urgently, in particular to address immediate requirements for food and nutrition, as well as clean drinking water, much of which is being delivered long distances by truck as regular wells have dried up.

A High-Level Partnership Mission to the Horn of Africa to visit Ethiopia and Somalia

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in collaboration with the Africa Union Commission is organizing a Horn of Africa Partnership Mission from 8 to 13 June 2017. The mission is organized to raise awareness about the devastating drought situation in the Horn of Africa and accelerate resource mobilization to respond to the drought crisis. More than 10 high-level delegates from Gulf States, donor agencies and private sector representatives will visit Ethiopia and Somalia. The programme in Ethiopia will run from 8 to 10 June. On 9 June 2017, the delegates accompanied by high-level Government officials of Ethiopia and international media will visit Warder zone, one of Ethiopia’s drought-hit areas. The mission will also meet with Government and UN officials. On 10 June, the participants will move to Nairobi (Kenya) from where they will proceed to Somalia for Phase II of the mission to take place from 11 to 12 June.

DPFSA Requested for humanitarian assistance to 2,395 flood-displaced persons

Over 2,395 people (475 households) remain displaced in Gambella town following flash floods caused by heavy rains on 18 May 2017. According to a recent multi-agency rapid assessment led by the regional Disaster Prevention Food Security Agency (DPFSA), the affected community need immediate food and non-food assistance. The assessment team verified that the flood has affected five kebeles where many houses were flooded and furniture, cooking materials, clothing, food and non-food items were washed away or destroyed. The flooding has also damaged text books and exercise books of some 950 students. The regional DPFSA has requested for emergency food ration for three months, NFI kits and TNTs, and educational supplies.

Malnutrition looms in drought affected communities as food pipeline is breaking

About 8 million people currently receiving food assistance face malnutrition as Ethiopia runs out of emergency food aid from July 2017. Malnutrition rates are currently high following poor performing spring rains particularly in the southeastern parts of the country. The situation is expected to worsen at the end of June when the 7.9 million beneficiaries supported by Ethiopia’s Productive Safety Net Programme receive their last transfer for the year. The National Disaster Risk Management Commission (NDRMC) and the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) have officially expressed their concerns to donors about the gap in food and nutritional needs. US$55 million is urgently required to ensure continous treatment of severe and moderate malnutrition and, $500 million to purchase and transport food to an estimated 8 million people, for the second half of the year. Read more here
For further information, contact: ocha-eth@un.org