UNITED NATIONS  DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME Emergencies Unit for Ethiopia

Summary

Recent measures taken by the central Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) in Addis Ababa and the regional Relief and Rehabilitation Bureau (RRB) in North Omo to organize the Sodo Coordination Office and provide it with technical manpower are an important addition to this year’s programme and should be appreciated. However, there is still more to be done to enable smooth operation and effective coordination as information regarding the operation was not available and the projected six month Plan of Action for food deliveries had not been yet prepared. During the field trip it was reported that the Coordination Office has only one short-haul truck for transport of essential food supplies to five designated weredas and additional logistic support for the office is needed.

The distribution of dry ration should be carried out together with supplementary feeding programmes in order to avoid sharing supplementary food by the families. There is also a need for guidance to the beneficiary households on the prioritised use of the supplemetry food to be given to the children.

In Kindo Koish, it was reported by the chairman of the Disaster Prevention and Prepardenes Committee that there was a shortage of hand tools that are required for food for work activities. Farmers were reported to have sold their hand tools as the result of the last year's drought. To alleviate the problem, it is necessary for the RRB in Sodo to make an allocation plan for the 37,735 pieces of available hand tools transferred for use in the seven weredas of Wolayita and which are currently stored in Sodo.

According to the Coordination Office in Sodo, the amount of food available in the five weredas of Kindo Koisha, Sodo Zure, Offa, Bolosso Sure and Humbo is sufficient only for the march distribution. The flow should continue before the roads get muddy and impassable. (Tabel 1)

The training programme started in Kindo Koisha by the wereda Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Committee for representatives in charge of distributions on food targetting is progressing and should be encouraged. There is scope for an expansion of this programme to other weredas and this also should be encouraged and supported.
 

NGOs and Goverment Organizations - Area of Operation

Sodo Zuria RRC

The RRC Coordination Office in Sodo, together with the wereda Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Committees, has completed screening the five weredas of Kindo Koisha, Bolosso Sure, Sodo Zuria, Offa and Humbo in the Wolayita area. As a result, it has been determined that the total population in need of assistance in these weredas is 601,086 (Tabel 2). From this population 305,004 are to be assisted through free food distribution, while the remaining will be covered by Employment Generation Schemes (EGS) and food for work projects. This work constitutes road construction, pond construction, digging of compost pits, spring cleaning, bridge construction and terracing.

Sodo Zuria consists of 28 kebeles. However, due to unavailability of food at the the present time, food for work activities are ongoing in only five kebeles. According to the team sent by the central RRC to assist the Coordination Office in Sodo, various types of hand tools have been sent to Sodo to be distributed to the seven weredas of Wolayita. Furthermore, a complete allocation plan is expected from the Wolayita Development Association who will also be conducting distributions.

Offa Wereda - Interaide France

In addition to their regular programme, Inter Aide France have opened a feeding centre and admitted 40 children in Offa wereda. This action was taken as a result of severe food shortages and the resulting poor nutritional status of the children. Inter Aide France reported that from the 40 children in the centre 70% were suffering from kwashiorkor and 30% are marasmic. The wereda Council received 500 tons of sorghum from the RRC to be used as dry ration distribution and food for work payment. The wereda Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Committee came up with the total population figure of 43,665 after conducting the screening in the Wereda. According to the DPPC from the above figure 26,814 people will be assisted through free food distribution, and the balance will be covered under food for work.

Bolosso Sure wereda - Redd Barna

In Bolosso Sure, Redd Barna is operating in 16 Peasant Associations and has a number of development activities. With the deterioration of the general situation in North Omo already starting in early 1995, Redd Barna carried out a household food needs assessment and nutritional survey in their catchment area in February. According to this assessment, the nutritional status of the children is reported to be 87% WFL. However, in six Kebeles 15% of the children were found to be less than 80% WFL. The report also indicates that household food supplies were sufficient for only one month. Based on this, Redd Barna has decided on local purchase of cereals in order to start distribution in March 1995.

Kindo Koisha - SOS Sahel, Interaide France

The wereda has a total of 35 kebeles. The wereda Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Committee has started food for work activities in 19 kebeles and free food distribution in 10 kebeles. Ongoing activities in the kebeles under the food for work programme include nursery planting, digging compost pits and road construction. The activities are implemented by the wereda DPPC with the technical support of SOS Sahel. However, the wereda DPPC chairman has reported that the work is hampered by a lack of hand tools, which are needed to run the activities. Free food distribution started in the wereda 16 February 1995. Under this programme, so far 1,569 quintals of wheat have been distributed to 10,463 people for a one month period.

At the request of the Regional Council and the RRB, Interaide France recently discharged 22 marasmic children who were patients at the Bele Feeding Centre. It was explained that the children were 85% WFL and no longer require the attention of the Feeding Centre. However, it was decided to monitor these children after they returned to their homes and under a dry ration supplementary feeding programme.

Belessa - CONCERN

CONCERN is currently operating in Bedessa in 48 Kebeles. The agency has started distributing supplementary food on daily basis to 328 children who are less than 75% WFL. This programme started after a nutritional survey was conducted in February 1995. The allocated ration per child is 4 kg of faffa, 2 kg of beans and 1 kg of oil. Children are also provided with antibiotic tablets and Vitamin A.

Damot Gale

The wereda consists of 54 kebeles. The wereda Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Committee is carrying out food for work activities in all kebeles. The activities consists of spring cleaning, terracing and bridge and road construction. According to the Wereda council 5,400 Heads of Families participate in the ongoing food for work activities. Free food distribution was expected to commece in early March. Through this programme it is expected that 10,800 Heads of Families will be covered. The wereda Ministry of Health is also planning to coordinate distribution of supplmentry food for malnourished children in the wereda to complement dry ration distributions.

UNICEF

UNICEF has started a six month supplementary feeding (Famix) programme for children under five years of age with less than 80% WFL, with food rations supplied by The World Food Programme (WFP). The programme will be implemented by the Ministry of Health (MoH) representatives in the wereda. This programme is planned to cover a total of nine weredas in North Omo: five from the Wolayita area, two from Dawro wereda and two from Gofa wereda. The first supply of famix was already prepositioned in January 1995 with a second consignment arriving at the end of February.

Humbo - World Vision International

World Vision covers 25 kebeles in the wereda. According to project personnel visited during the field trip, a nutritional survey was conducted in November 1994. Based on the findings of the assessment available household food supplies were expected to feed each family for only three month. Even before the result of the survey, WVI started screening the population in order to commence food for work activities in their project area. From the total population screened, it was reported that 72,749 persons would require food assistance in 16 kebeles. From this figure 20% are expected to be assisted through free food distribution starting February 1995. However, detailed information would be available from the survey report which is to be distributed in the near future.

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.