UNITED NATIONS  DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME Emergencies Unit for Ethiopia

1. INTRODUCTION

A field trip was conducted to assess the current conditions of the drought-affected areas in the North and South Gondar zones of Region 3. The most affected areas are the eastern weredas, bordering the North Welo zone and Region 1, with the lowlands more affected than the highlands.

Accurate estimates of the drought-affected population are difficult to obtain. The local wereda administrations usually provide figures which are considered high by the zonal authorities and by the regional Relief and Rehabilitation Bureau (RRB). Both the wereda administration and zonal RRB agree that it is an almost impossible task to get correct figures.

In North Gondar, the zonal RRB office has divided the total drought-affected population into three categories:

• 12 months assistance to the population affected by the total failure of last year's harvest (lowlands)
•  9 months assistance to the population affected by the partial failure of last year's harvest, who will need food aid in the last three quarters of the year (low to mid-highlands)
• 6 months assistance to the population without sufficient food supplies in the second half of the year, and who will need food assistance until the next harvest (mid-highlands).

The regional RRB has already requested the Ethiopian Relief Organization (ERO), the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC) and Food for the Hungry International (FHI) to expand their operations and to increase their capacity, but no agreement has been reached yet.

The RRC is now transporting emergency food supplies to Adis Selam and Belessa weredas in North Gondar and to Ibnat, Lay Gayint and Simada weredas in South Gondar. The additional food supplies will be distributed to beneficiaries not covered by the NGOs.

The road accessibility for food transport to the affected areas is better in South Gondar than in North Gondar. In South Gondar the majority of the beneficiaries do not have to walk more than half a day to the distribution points. In North Gondar, particularly the weredas in the Simien Mountains, two to three day walks to the distribution centers are not unusual. Under these conditions there is a high probability that the elderly and weak are forced to sell part of the collected food rations.

The market prices for cereals are up to 40% higher as compared to the prices of last year. There is limited food available in some towns such as Ibnat and Arbaya.

Since the middle of April, there has been erratic rainfall in the area of Lake Tana. The eastern weredas of North and South Gondar, are still dry. In such areas, rains which are considered essential for land preparation are expected to start in May.
 

2. NORTH GONDAR ZONE

2.1. General situation

The most severely drought-affected areas in North Gondar are the weredas located in the eastern part of the zone as well as one wereda (Quara) near the Sudanese border.

Last year's crop production was reduced due to insufficient rainfall, hail storms, plant pests and attacks by rodents and grasshoppers. All the affected weredas are in the lowland. The highland areas had a good harvest.

The normal planting season is in June in the lowlands and in April/May in the highlands. Harvesting time is in October and November in the lowlands and November and December in the highlands.

The zonal administration and RRB have set up an emergency committee which is permanently assessing and monitoring the situation. However, due to logistical constraints and difficult accessibility of the affected areas efficient monitoring is impossible.

Arbaya, located in Belessa wereda, is the only main town of the drought-affected weredas accessible by road. Adi Selam, Beyeda and Janamora weredas are located in the Simien mountains and can only be reached on foot or horseback. The construction of a new road between Debark to Janamora is underway and so far 32 km out of 60 km is completed.

The distribution point for the beneficiaries in Janamora and Beyeda weredas is located in Debark, which is approximately one to three days walk. The beneficiaries of Adi Selam wereda have to receive their food rations in Dima (Region 1, Western zone). The long distances to the distribution points has proved to be a problem for the elderly and weak who are forced to sell part of their food ration as they are not able to carry it to their homes.

Migration is no longer a dominant issue. In-migration from the North Welo zone at the end of last year as well as the beginning of this year stopped when food distribution started around Sekota. Out-migration is more related to temporary daily labour opportunities between harvest and land-preparation time than to stress. Between December and April many heads of families move to Bahir Dar, Metema and Humera for temporary employment.
 

2.2. Drought-affected weredas in North Gondar zone

The North Gondar zone is comprised of 18 weredas with a total population of 2,157,850 people (source: Planning Office, Zonal Administration, Gondar, 1993).

Regarding the number of drought-affected persons in the zone, the RRC headquarters in Addis Ababa, the regional RRB in Bahir Dar and the zonal RRB office in Gondar have furnished different figures. Table 1 shows the figures presented for North Gondar in the revised RRC appeal of April 1994, the regional RRB in Bahir Dar (March 1994) and the zonal RRB in Gondar (April 1994).
 

2.3. Emergency Relief Agencies

In the North Gondar zone the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC), the Ethiopian Relief Organization (ERO) and the local RRB are currently carrying out food distributions.

EOC is distributing in Beyeda and Janamora weredas. The distribution center is in Debark. The monthly allotment is as follows:

Beyeda wereda: 15,000 Beneficiaries
Janamora wereda: 32,000 Beneficiaries

During April, a one-time distribution was carried out to 3,000 displaced people from the above-mentioned weredas who are currently in Debark town.

The zonal RRB has urged EOC to increase the number of beneficiaries in the two weredas for the coming months but an agreement on this issue has not been reached yet.

In April, ERO distributed emergency food rations to 70,000 beneficiaries in Belessa wereda. This organization has a similar programme for the month of May and food is expected to arrive by the end of May.

The zonal RRB has distributed emergency food in Adis Selam and Beyeda in April. In Adis Selam 28,000 beneficiaries were to receive food but due to a shortage of supplies only 14,000 persons have actually received rations. The RRB hopes to cover the remaining 14,000 in May. In Beyeda 15,000 beneficiaries and in Quara (near the Sudanese border) 2,619 beneficiaries obtained food from the RRB.

In the past month a total number of around 150,000 beneficiaries have received food rations which amounts to approximately 55% of the total registered drought-affected population.

For the month of May the proportion will probably remain the same as the operating NGOs are not in a position to increase their capacity within a month.

However, the number of people in need of food assistance may increase. The wereda administration in Debark claims a total 50,000 drought-affected people in urgent need of food; this is not acknowledged by the zonal RRB administration in Gondar.
 

3. SOUTH GONDAR

3.1. General situation

Of the nine weredas of South Gondar zone, five weredas of Simada, Ibnat, Lay Gayint, Tach Gayint and Libo Kemkem are considered drought-affected.

The current food shortage in South Gondar due to insufficient rainfall last year, damaged crops by pests, rodents and hail storms.

The majority of the affected weredas are located in the lowland. Except for the south-eastern part of Ibnat wereda where the beneficiaries have to walk for up to two days to distribution points, South Gondar is more easily accessible and most beneficiaries live less than a days walk away.

So far rainfall in the area has been has been minimal, but this is normal for this time of the year. However, rains are expected to start in May.
 

3.2. Drought-affected weredas in South Gondar zone

According to the revised RRC appeal the five worst affected weredas have the following registered drought-affected population:
 

The zonal RRB office in Debre Tabor acknowledges the above-mentioned figures but considers them as planning figures. The actual number of drought-affected people is assessed on a monthly basis.

The figures maintained by the regional RRB in Bahir Dar, which correspond with the above figures, are divided into two categories, first and second priority. This indicates that the category of first priority beneficiaries is in urgent need of food assistance (279,800) while the category of second priority (100,650) might be subject to food shortages in the coming months and therefore need close monitoring in order facilitate immediate action in case the situation deteriorates.
 

3.3. Relief agencies operating in South Gondar zone

Three NGOs currently undertake relief operations in the zone. Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC) is operating in Ibnat, Lay Gayint, Tach Gayint and Libo Kemkem weredas, Ethiopian Relief Organization (ERO) in Ibnat Wereda and Food for the Hungry International (FHI) in Simada Wereda.

Table 2, given at the end of this report, shows the activities of the three organizations in March and April 1994 as well as the tentative distribution plan for the month of May (proposal by the zonal RRB in Debre Tabor).
 

4. DISPLACED POPULATIONS

North Gondar and to a lesser extent South Gondar also have displaced populations. According to the revised RRC appeal the number of people in need of assistance due to man-made problems amounts to 14,000 persons in North Gondar and 4,500 persons in South Gondar.

In the South Gondar zone, displaced and ex-servicemen have received some assistance by the EOC and RRB (527 beneficiaries in March and 4,773 beneficiaries in April).

The North Gondar zonal RRB claims a much higher number of displaced persons and ex-servicemen than stated in the RRC Appeal. In 1993, the North Gondar zone registered 11,355 displaced persons from Assab and Eritrea as well as 44,008 ex-soldiers, including their dependents. This population is mostly concentrated in Azezo (Gondar airport), Gondar town and Debark town; some were included in rehabilitation programmes and some have started their own businesses (shops, trading, etc.).

There are no recent figures of the above-mentioned groups available for North Gondar and no assistance has been given in 1994.

Most of the temporarily displaced people who moved from the drought-affected areas of North Welo to Belessa and Ibnat at the end of 1993 and at the beginning of 1994, have now returned to their homes with the hope of receiving food distributions.
 

* FHI has not yet accepted the zonal RRB's request to cover 33,000 beneficiaries in Tach Gayint Wereda.

In comparison to the figures of the Revised RRC Appeal, 34% of the drought-affected population was covered by emergency assistance in March and 40% in April. According to the RRB, during the month of May 61% of the registered beneficiaries should be covered by food distributions.
 

ANNEX 1

Number of drought-affected populations in Region 3 per zone and wereda and displaced population per zone

The following figures were collected from the regional RRB in Bahir Dar, showing the situation as it was in March 1994. The total number of the drought-affected population was split up in three categories:
 

• First priority: People in need of immediate relief assistance
• Second priority: People that had some harvest but may have used up their food supplies by April or May
• Third priority: People that could be subject to food shortages later in the year

North Welo zone:

 South Gondar zone:

North Gondar zone:

South Welo zone:

East Gojam zone:

North Shewa zone:

Disclaimer

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this document do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever of the UN concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.