Field Trip to Region 3 (North Welo,Wag Hamra and South Gonder Zones)

25 May - 2 June 1995Hans Spiess, Field Officer for Regions 1 & 3

1. INTRODUCTION

Large parts of North Welo, Wag Hamra and South Gonder zones of Region 3 (Amhara) are normally inaccessible during the Kiremt rainy season. It was therefore important to visit the aforementioned areas and gather information regarding the conditions before the onset of the rains.

Food distributions are being carried out in most badly affected weredas. In areas where there are no NGOs present, the Relief and Rehabilitation Bureaux are trying to fill the gap.

Among the three visited zones, it was observed that food aid distribution is best organized in South Gonder zone, where it is carried out by Food for the Hungry International (FHI), the Ethiopian Relief Organization (ERO) and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC).

In North Welo zone, food is distributed in three weredas by the Joint Relief Partnership (JRP/EOC) with additional supplies from the RRB, and in three weredas by the zonal RRB.

Following the departure of the Ethiopian Red Cross Society and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (ERCS/IFRC) from Wag Hamra zone at the end of 1994, JRP/EOC is the only organisation covering that part of the population in need of food assistance. The RRB is trying to assist the remaining affected population, but the transport of food from the central RRC store is slow and only minimal quantities had reached the zone at the time of the visit.

The pre-positioning of food in remote weredas in these zones has so far only been assured by ERO and FHI, whereas JRP/EOC and the RRB are not certain whether the required food supplies would reach their operational areas before the start of the rainy season.

Large-scale stress migration movements, which were expected at the beginning of the year have not taken place. No proper records are kept by wereda administrations, but the movement of the majority of people can be attributed to traditional migration patterns. In most cases, heads of families are moving to the larger towns, state farms or coffee producing areas in the southern part of the country for daily labour and for a certain period of time, whilst other family members remain at home.

Due to a shortage of seeds, the Ministry of Agriculture assisted by Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) is distributing wheat, teff and pea seeds to farmers in five zones of the region on a credit basis. Unlike last year seed deliveries arrived in time for distribution and the farmers can make optimal use of supplies, provided the Kiremt rains are in time and maintain a normal distribution pattern.

As in earlier field trips, representatives of the zonal RRBs and line ministries indicate their concern for lack of communication capacities, logistics and equipment. Given the existing infrastructures they feel that they are not adequately equipped to fulfill their various tasks.

2. IMPLEMENTATION OF EMPLOYMENT GENERATING SCHEMES (EGS)

Employment Generating Schemes (EGS) are being implemented in South Gonder zone with the participants only entitled to receive food rations after completing their assigned tasks. These activities are carried out in the fields of soil and water conservation, nursery site development, reforestation, infrastructure and road construction and improvement. In North Welo zone, the implementation of EGS has been delayed due to the late approval of projects by the National Disaster Prevention Committee (NDPC). In Wag Hamra zone, beneficiaries from Gazgibla and Sekota weredas are participating in EGS programmes implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Natural Resources Development and Environmental Protection.

3. NORTH WELO ZONE

The JRP/EOC has terminated the first round of distributions in Gidan, Meket and Bugna wereda. The zonal RRB hopes that EOC can continue the distributions in the three weredas for the coming months. In the weredas of Delanta, Wadla and Dawnt, the RRB has carried out emergency food distributions since the beginning of the year. The conditions however remain critical and discussions are underway with SCF/UK for food assistance to the three weredas not covered by JRP/EOC.

EOC is urging the JRP relief coordination office in Dessie to immediately transfer the food quantities needed in Bugna and Gidan wereda to the distribution centres, as it is anticipated that the roads will be inaccessible from the end of June or beginning of July.

4. WAG HAMRA ZONE

In Wag Hamra, the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission has accepted food allocations for 121,750 drought-affected persons, although a regional early warning team concluded in April that at least 174,000 persons could be at risk in this area.

With ERCS/IFRC leaving the area at the end of 1994, JRP/EOC remains the only relief agency now operational in the zone.

EOC covers 4,000 beneficiaries in Sekota wereda, 11,000 in Gazgibla and 21,000 in Dehana wereda. The remaining 85,000 should be covered by the zonal RRB who has received small quantities amounting to less that one percent of the total requirements from the central RRC for their distributions.

As is the case in parts of North Welo, the entire Wag Hamra zone is usually inaccessible by road following the start of the Kiremt rainy season. The JRP/EOC is exerting efforts to transport at least part of the relief food supplies to the two distribution points of Hamusit (for Sekota and Gazgibla weredas) and Chila Meda (Dehana wereda). The RRB is rather pessimistic that more food will arrive from the central RRC before the roads are closed.

The zone recently issued a policy pertaining the involvement of all able-bodied people in development activities without food compensation unless they are registered as food as beneficiaries. This will have consequences for ERO which has its own rural development activities. In accordance with the new policy, the RRB is urging ERO to divert the food initially allocated to FFW activities for distribution to the registered beneficiaries, the disabled and elderly. In principal ERO has agreed, but details of practically implementing the policy still have to be worked out.

In Sekota and Dehana wereda, where EOC is distributing relief food, EGS are implemented by the line ministries.However, EOC is facing problems regarding distribution days in Hamusit distribution site because large numbers of non-registered people demanding assistance have been turning up at the site.

EOC is also running a rehabilitation programme in the two aforementioned weredas, which includes construction of clinics, schools and grinding mills.

The main problems regarding relief activities are transport and storage. Except for Hamusit, Sekota (Sekota wereda)and Chila Meda (Dehana wereda), no appropriate storage facilities are on the spot.

The seeds provided by FAO have arrived in the zone and can be distributed to the farmers in time.

Logistical and staffing constraints have prevented the MoA in setting up veterinary services in the newly established weredas of Gazgibla (formerly part of Sekota wereda) and Sahala (formerly in Sequala wereda).

ERO_s rural integrated development project in the weredas of Gazgibla and Sekota includes soil and water conservation, forestry, nursery site development, establishment of grinding mills and training programmes in agricultural techniques and traditional birth attendance. Water development projects have not been implemented yet due to a lack of funding. ERO plans to establish a seed bank to be effective in 1996.

5. SOUTH GONDER ZONE

Relief activities linked with EGS or FFW programmes seem to be running smoothly in South Gonder zone. Distributions are ongoing in all drought-affected areas. FHI is covering Tach Gayint and Simada weredas, whereas EOC is assisting Lay Gayint and Libo Kemkem weredas and ERO Ibnat wereda.

ERO is now the only humanitarian organization operating in Ibnat wereda. EOC, which was previously also present in this wereda has now withdrawn. Remaining EOC food stocks already pre-positioned in Ibnat wereda will probably be distributed by ERO, who will repay EOC elsewhere in kind.

Visits to Lay Gayint and Tach Gayint weredas revealed that conditions here are somewhat similar to those of the North and South Welo highland weredas. Consecutive poor harvests, soil degradation and average landholding of less than half a hectare per family are the main reasons for permanent food deficits. Although the concerned wereda officials are supporitng the NGOs emergency interventions, they are demanding more development assistance aimed at leading the population out of a state of dependency.

6. SEED DISTRIBUTIONS

The Ministry of Agriculture has dispatched seeds to five selected zones in Region 3. This seed distribution programme is funded by FAO. The beneficiaries are selected by the zonal MoA bureaux and seeds are distributed on credit basis. Unlike last year, when part of the seeds arrived too late, they are now ready for distribution in time for planting.

According to the regional Ministry of Agriculture Bureau in Bahir Dar, the following quantities of different seed varieties have been dispatched to the various zones for distribution to local farming communities:

ZONE: ANKOI WHEAT: TEFF (local variety): PEAS:

Wag Hamra 3,000 qt. 3,300 qt. --

North Welo 2,000 qt. 2,200 qt. --

South Welo 1,800 qt. 1,425 qt. 687 qt.

North Shewa 1,700 qt. 1,700 qt. 750 qt.

Oromyia -- 425 qt. 163 qt.

In addition, smaller quantities of teff cross 37 variety, wheat Pavon variety, wheat bulk 6290, wheat 6295A and Katumani maize variety seed have been dispatched to North Welo, North Shewa and South Welo zones for trial use purposes.

13 June 1995

Prepared by:

UN-EUE P.O. Box 5580Addis Ababa, EthiopiaTel. (251) (1) 51 10 28Fax (251) (1) 51 45 99Email: UNEUE@padis.gn.apc.org

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