Members of the
ACT Ethiopia Forum – the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC), the Ethiopian
Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY), the Lutheran World Federation
(LWF/DWS), Norwegian Church Aid, DanChurchAid, Christian Aid, Canadian
Food Grains Bank and Bread for the World – are bringing to the ACT
alliance’s attention a situation in which 8 to 10 million people are
at risk of malnutrition. Severe drought conditions, a late start of
the Ethiopian government’s National Productive Safety Net Program,
meant to provide multi-year support to more than five million chronically
food-insecure people, and the lack of adequate resources to provide
food and non-food assistance to 3.8 million food-insecure people have
combined to create an alarming situation.
The early belg
rains (February/March) failed in many areas, including East and West
Hararghe and Arsi zones of Oromiya State, parts of Southern Nations
Nationalities and Peoples (SNNP) State and parts of Tigray State.
The situation is severe, with many areas throughout the country showing
high levels of global acute and severe acute malnutrition in children
under 5. UNICEF’s May 4 report to donors cites 80,000 to 170,000 severely
malnourished children throughout the country who are at risk of death
if not treated, and an additional 360,000 moderately malnourished
children who could become severely malnourished if not treated.
There are rising
levels of distress migration in certain areas, water is particularly
scarce in some areas, and cereal prices are high.
The current rains
(late April/early May) are late and may or may not help seasonal food
production. Yet the rains will help improve livestock pasture and
increase the needed water supplies. In addition, it should be noted
that over 100 people as well as many cattle have died and thousands
of families have been displaced in the current floods in the Somali
Region alone.
The Productive
Safety Net Program is designed to overcome people’s dependence on
food assistance. While this is an important step, continued robust
response to emergency conditions is critical to ensure the success
of more developmentally oriented programs. This program, which was
meant to begin in January 2005, did not start until late March in
most areas of the country. Essentially, people targeted under the
program have, in most cases, not yet received the planned assistance
and are now facing deteriorating health conditions. Women and children
are especially vulnerable. Many of the chronically food-insecure people
are now facing acute conditions.
Current figures
indicate that 64 percent of food needs are pledged and only 22 percent
of non-food needs. It must be noted, however, that this includes an
un-guaranteed WFP pledge. With the number of people requiring assistance
on the rise, the level of resources required is certain to increase
significantly. While 64 percent sounds promising, it should be noted
that, using current assessments, this figure may not adequately represent
real needs.
Unless commitments
of food and non-food items are made immediately, the ACT Forum will
not be able to pre-position food in the most severely affected areas
prior to the rainy season, which starts in June, because of poor road
conditions at that time. Lack of pre-positioning will lead to further
setbacks and possible loss of life.
The presence of
the ACT Forum members at the local level was an asset in undertaking
timely interventions in different parts of the country. The members
have succeeded in providing service which complement other government
and international efforts to mitigate the problem of transitory and
chronic food insecurity in the country.
An ACT appeal
will be issued soon. We would appreciate any indications of possible
funding.
