Call for urgent emergency relief
operations in Eritrea
For immediate release
Geneva, December 11, 2002
After four years
of erratic and at times, complete lack of rains, a drought is threatening
the lives of nearly a third of Eritrea's population. Of the 3,3 million
Eritreans, 1,4 million people are facing one of the worst food crises
this small country has experienced.
Members of the
global alliance, Action by Churches Together (ACT) International,
is responding to the humanitarian crisis and are working closely with
their local partners to distribute food and help with the restocking
of livestock, water and sanitation, basic education and health care.
The members are Dutch Interchurch Aid, Lutheran World Federation/World
Service and Norwegian Church Aid. An appeal totaling US$ 7,217,300
million has been issued. As part of Eritrea’s government policy,
all distributions are done through the Eritrea Relief and Refugee
Emergency Commission (ERREC).
The failure of
the vital April-May rains, known locally as Azmera, and the
late onset of the June-July Kremti rains that mark the prime
planting months this year, resulted in an unprecedented dry spell
that prevented the planting of crops and lack of drinking water for
both humans and livestock. Pasture for livestock has also been left
barren.
Besides Anseba,
the northern and southern Red sea regions, which are commonly the
drought-prone areas in the country, other parts such as Gash Barka
and Debub - the main food producing areas in the country and main
returnee areas for Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and refugees
from the Sudan - have also been severely affected.
The ACT International
members have requested about 14,000 metric tonnes of food for 6 months
to assist over 120,000 people in need of urgent food supplies, particularly
in the Anesba, Debub, Gash Barka and Maekel regions. An additional
20,000 people will benefit from the provision of clean and adequate
drinking water.
The famine situation
comes at a time when Eritrea is still recovering from a border war
with neighbouring Ethiopia. A large number of people including farmers
are still displaced and thousands of soldiers still have to be demobilised.
