UNITED NATIONS  DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME Emergencies Unit for Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

The United Nations Emergency Prevention and Preparedness Group (UN-EPPG) is a project implemented by the United Nations Development Programme in Ethiopia. It was formed at the beginning of 1987 with a mandate to strengthen and maintain the capacity of the UN system to respond quickly and effectively to meeting emergency relief needs in Ethiopia and to support government efforts to integrate humanitarian action with long term measures to resolve the underlying causes of the countrys' vulnerability to natural and man-made disasters.

The UN-EPPG reports directly to the UNDP Resident Representative, who is also the Resident Coordinator of the UN system and the local representative of the Department of

Humanitarian Affairs (DHA). Policy matters are decided by the Executive Committee of the UN-EPPG which is made up of the heads of the various specialist UN agencies operating in Ethiopia and is chaired by the Resident Coordinator. This committee consitutes the Disaster Management Team (DMT) and is ultimately responsible for directing the relief and rehabilitation activities of the UN system in Ethiopia.

Though not normally operational, on occassions the UN-EPPG has stepped-in to provide management support for UN airlift operations, relief food distributions and other relief activities in areas where neither the Government or NGOs had the necessary capacity to act. An example is the Ogaden in 1991/92, where security problems and political instability prevented the delivery of food assistance by road and disrupted normal relief operations. Also, from May 1992 until the end of October 1993, UN-EPPG managed a light aircraft service on behalf of the UN, donors, and NGOs in Ethiopia. The aircraft was run on a partial cost-recovery basis and was used extensively to support relief and rehabilitation activities in the Ogaden and other inaccessible and insecure areas of Ethiopia.

Since the beginning of 1992, the prime objective of the UN- EPPG has been to work with the Transitional Government in facilitating and promoting a smooth transition to rehabilitation and development in regions of the country affected by complex and chronic emergencies and in closely monitoring needs in parts of the country known to be particularly vulnerable to famine.

Reflecting the priorities of the Government's Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC), the UN-EPPG focussed much of its attention in 1993 on identifying ways to support intiatives to move from relief to rehabilitation, particularly in regions affected by large populations of returnees, displaced persons and desettlers. Given signs of continuing vulnerablity in many rural areas, however, the Group also endeavoured to continue its traditional work of monitoring relief needs and the food supply situation, especially in regions known to be at-risk, such as Wello, Tigray and Hararghe. The UN-EPPG also continued to provide an information and advisory service for the wider aid community and promote closer collaboration and coordination between the UN, the Government and NGO community in formulating joint disaster mitigation and response activities.

In the Ogaden zone of Region 5 and the Borena zone of Region 4, the UN-EPPG played an important role in facilitating the implementation of relief and rehabilitation activities under the `cross-mandate' approach, formalised in the signing of an agreement between the RRC and UNDP in November 1992. This established a conceptual framework through which assistance is provided at a community level and not on the basis of individual entitlement. In the refugee and returnee affected regions of South East Ethiopia a number of intitiatives have been undertaken by UN agencies under the cross-mandate approach and these are now beginning to produce tangible results. Much of the work of UN-EPPG field staff in 1993 was in supporting cross-mandate activities. This report will attempt to describe these activities in some detail.

FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS FOR UN-EPPG OPERATIONS IN 1993

Historically, the UN-EPPG has obtained financial support for its work from a variety of donor and UN sources, including both cash and in-kind contributions. 1993 was no different, with substantial cash contributions confirmed from the Governments of Norway and the Netherlands, the World Food Programme and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. In addition, the Governments of the United Kingdom and Switzerland provided in- kind contributions of personnel. The European Union committed funds specifically ear-marked to cover some of the costs of the UN light aircraft service managed by the UN-EPPG.

Following pressure from several long-standing donors, especially the US, serious attempts were made in 1993 to secure regular UN funding for the UN-EPPG. It was the donor view, and one that the UN-EPPG wholly agreed with, that as the Group provided an essential coordination function within the UN in Ethiopia, the UN system should shoulder more responsibility for its running costs and provide an element of financial continuity by funding at least the position of the Technical Coordinator and other key staff. The arguement was taken to both UNDP Headquarters in New York and the newly formed Department of Humanitarian Affairs but neither were able to give any direct funding in 1993 or an assurance of regular funding in the future. UN agencies in Ethiopia, however, principally UNHCR and WFP, did provide contributions, but only as one-off committments and with no guarantee of money in the future. The UN-EPPG, therefore, continues to rely very much on the support and generousity of the donor community in Ethiopia and its long-term financial future is no more secure than before.
 

OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Ogaden relief operations

UN-EPPG operations in the Ogaden during 1993 were concentrated in Gode and Dolo. In both places, "mixed" camps of mainly returnees and displaced drought affected people had been in existence since 1990. Food distributions were carried out by the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC), although allocations were jointly agreed by WFP, RRC and UN-EPPG in consultation with elders and local Emergency Task Force committees chaired by the administration.

With access to assistance based firmly on the principle of need rather than entitlement, there has been no attempt to systematically screen or register the camp populations. The UN-EPPG, however, maintained a fairly continous presence in the region in order to monitor and verify that needy groups were being given priority and received the assistance they required. By establishing contacts at all levels within the Government, NGOs, donors and local communities, UN/EPPG also endeavoured to ensure that the interests of returnees, refugees and the displaced were incorporated into longer term plans for the rehabilitation and development of the region.

To ensure fair and equitable food distributions, UN-EPPG Field Officers worked closely with the local representatives of the RRC and regional administration on delivery systems that would target the neediest individuals in the population. These efforts were largely successful, although in Gode political pressures were placed on the RRC to include not only the camps in the distributions but also the entire population of the town and surrounding area, regardless of their need or status.

In Dolo, UN-EPPG Field Officers helped develop a distribution system based on coupons and the division of the camp population into manageable groups. This approach was well accepted by both the RRC and the people and led to a programme of distributions that were generally seen to be relatively transparent, equitable and well targeted. Attempts to institute a similar system in Gode were continually thwarted by the leadership of the RRC and administration who were clearly intent on avoiding any specific targeting of the camp populations.

Trucks of the Transport Operation for Refugees (TOR) operated on behalf of UNHCR by GTZ, were contracted by WFP to move food from stores in Shashamane to the Dolo/Suftu area and from Dire Dawa to Kebridehar and Gode. In general, the delivery of both general rations and supplementary food was both regular and reliable, although floods and security problems along the Degahabur-Kebridehar-Denan road from May to July seriously disrupted the transport of food to Gode for some time. UN-EPPG field staff monitored the delivery of food aid to all destinations in the Ogaden and helped to highlight any logistical, security or other problems encountered in the operation. Reports on truck movements and deployment were shared both locally with members of the special emergency task forces, first established in Gode and Dolo in 1992, and with the UN, RRC and other involved agencies in Addis Ababa.

In Gode and Kebridehar, short-hual trucks belonging to the RRC were used in combination with private trucks hired locally by GTZ/TOR to move food to Kelafo, Bare, Denan, Shilabo, Imi, Warder and distribution points around Gode. A combination of short-hual trucks operated by GTZ/TOR, the Administration for Refugee and Returnee Affairs (ARRA), and the Joint Transport Operation of Oxfam and The Save the Children Fund (UK), have operated out of Dolo to deliver relief food to distribution sites around Dolo itself and to Suftu, Sede, Woldiyia, Amino, Bokolmayo and Cheriti.

Distributions continued to the camp populations at Gode, Dolo and Suftu, as well as numerous rural locations, more or less continuously on a six weekly basis right through to the phasing-out of relief operations in October. As much as possible, ration scales followed the 15kgs of grain per person/round recommended by the RRC, however, supply problems and delays in effecting delivery of each round, combined with the large number of beneficiaries included in some distributions, especially those in Gode, led to rations of 5kg/person or less being given on occassion. As much as possible, UN-EPPG staff monitored distributions to verify numbers receiving assistance and to determine if the neediest people in the population were being reached. Information gathered was used to encourage more responsible use of available resources by the RRC and to provide regular feedback to the UN and donor agencies in Addis Ababa.

Unlike in 1991 and 1992, it was not necessary to airlift food to the Ogaden, an expedient that can be both highly expensive and complicated to manage. Transport aircraft and a military helicopter were used, however, to deliver relief supplies and agricultural inputs, such as seeds and tools, to villages affected by the flooding of the Fafen, Shebelle, Weib, Ganale and Dawa rivers in May and June. The UN-EPPG played an important role in assisting the RRC and local administrations to coordinated and manage these operations in the field. More details are given below under "Rehabilitation activities" and in the final narrative report submitted to UNHCR covering their contribution of $100,100 in support of this operation (document now available from the UN Emergencies Unit for Ethiopia).

Relief operations in Dolo, Suftu and the SW Ogaden

The South West Ogaden was affected by large numbers of returnees fleeing the civil war in Somalia from the beginning of 1991, a severe drought in 1991-92, and a number of ethnic clashes which resulted in displacement of thousands of people. These clashes were sparked-off by increased pressure on land and water resources, and excacerbated by the political ramifications of new regional borders being drawn.

Classic complex camp situations developed in Dolo and Suftu where, at the end of 1992, an estimated 70,000 people were receiving assistance under the cross-mandate approach. During 1993, the camps were characterised by voluntary repatriations to Somalia and the dispersal of some people to the surrounding area - taking place in parallel with fairly frequent influxes of new arrivals.

By the end of the first quarter of 1993, it had become clear that relatively large numbers of people, thought to be mainly refugees from Somalia, had left the camps. In the abscence of any formal registration, the UN-EPPG in conjunction with UNHCR and MSF Holland, attempted a quick head-count of the people remaining in the two camps. Although cooperation from camp elders and the local administration was not altogether satisfactory, the results obtained were sufficient to indicate that the population of the Dolo camp had fallen to around 27,000 and that of the Suftu camp to probably no more than 11,000. The new figures were used to reduce the quantity of food allocated to the area and as a starting point for encouraging better targeting and using food aid to support productive activities such as camp sanitation, drainage and road repairs. Given the proximity of Dolo to both the Somali and Kenyan borders, and the high degree of population mobility in the area, the UN-EPPG maintained a more-or-less permanent presence in the area until the last few months of the year, when the relief programme began to be phased out. Field Officers assigned to Dolo worked closely with UNHCR field staff, the RRC and members of the local emergency task force to support and monitor relief operations and conduct regular assessments of needs. UN-EPPG Field Officers also maintained contact with colleagues working in Mandera, Kenya, and in Somalia to share information and keep up to-date on developments taking place on all sides of the three borders. Information gathered was shared both locally and with the UN and donor community in Addis Ababa to help foster a better understanding of the situation in this sensitive area and to help agencies develop well balanced and coordinated programmes that would not encourage the further movement of people across the borders.

With the Region 5 bureau of the RRC still very weak and unable to effectively support operations in the Dolo area, in March 1993, it was agreed that the UN-EPPG, with funds provided by UNHCR, would help cover the local costs of handling relief food consigned to the RRC in Dolo and pay incentives to various staff employed in managing the operation, including warehouse guards, distributors, clerks and militia escorts. This was intended as an interim arrangement until such time that either GTZ/TOR could again undertake the responsibility or that RRC Gode could furnish funds directly to their Dolo office. In the event, UN-EPPG continued to pay for the loading and un-loading of trucks in Dolo right until the end of the twelfth and final round in October, although responsibility for paying staff salaries and incentives was assumed by the regional bureau of the RRC in Gode from the beginning of June onwards.

Assistance was provided to a number of missions from the Government and NGOs and UN agencies. The RRC Borena rehabilitation assessment mission visited the Dolo/Suftu area in July 1993 and, with assistance from UN-EPPG field staff, developed plans for the long term rehabilitation of the area with local authorities and relevant aid agencies. Other missions assisted by UN-EPPG staff in the field include one from the Swedish Philadelphia Church Mission which visited Dolo in August to examine the rehabilitation of the clinic and school, a team from Norwegian Church Aid which also travelled through the area in August to finalise plans for supporting agricultural rehabilitation activities in the South Western Ogaden, and a visit from senior RRC officials from Addis Ababa in September looking at the future direction and scope of relief operations in the Dolo/Suftu area.

Borena relief operations

In 1991 and 1992, ethnic clashes involving mainly the Borena and Geri resulted in large numbers of displaced people congregating around the southern border town of Moyale. Later, returnees from Kenya also made Moyale a transit point on their way home. As a result, a complicated inter-agency relief, rehabilitation and reintegration programme has been coordinated by the Moyale Task Force, in whose establishment UN-EPPG was instrumental.

During 1993, UN-EPPG field staff made regular visits to Moyale and the surounding area to monitor the progress of the relief programme and to assist the Moyale Task Force in the development of plans to disperse and rehabilitate people living in the camps. Numerous visits were made to villages in the Borena zone where returnees and previously displaced persons had moved back and were attempting to re-establish themselves. On-going rehabilitation activities were monitored and, were appropriate, advice was given to local administrators and elders on the potential for community rehabilitation activities to be supported through for Food- for-Work.

Despite the best efforts of all concerned, the dispersal of the displaced and returnee population around Moyale met with little success during 1993. The signing of a peace accord late in 1992 initially appeared to be the key to solving the ethnic problems in the area but later the political question of the boundary between regions 4 and 5, and the placement of the Moyale area in either, became a major obstacle to the success of the programme and encouraged the various factions to favour the continued existence of the camps in order to strengthen the legitimacy of their opposing territorial claims. Under these circumstances there was little that UN-EPPG could do to influence the situation, and instead simply continued to monitor needs and assist in the development of rehabilitation activities.

Repatriation programme from Kenya

Following the signing of a peace accord in November 1992 between the Borena and elders of the Gerri and Gebra people, it became possible to begin the repatriation of an estimated 40,000 Ethiopian refugees in the camp of Walda in North East Kenya. Moyale, in Southern Ethiopia, was designated as the transit point and UNHCR on both sides of the border cooperated in identifying trucks and coordinating the movements of the returnees. Field Officers from the UN-EPPG worked with UNHCR field staff and members of the Moyale task force, chaired by the RRC, in identifying and surveying the planned destinations for the returnees and in determining what facilities (water, health stations, schools etc.,) needed repair and rehabilitation before people could hope to return permanently. A number of donor and UN missions visited the area at this time and UN-EPPG staff were instrumental in securing funding for a number of major UN and NGO rehabilitation projects in Borena area, mainly in the areas of health, water and agriculture.

While it had been planned that Moyale would serve only as a temporary transit point for the returnees before they moved on to their home villages, in practice, further political problems concerning the new regional boundaries and resulting ethnic tensions meant that most people did not disperse immediately, remaining instead in temporary camps on the periphery of the town which were already home to several thousand displaced. By the end of the operation in February , it was estimated that around 30,000 people had been repatriated from Walda, of which only a small percentage had moved beyond Moyale. UN-EPPG worked with the Moyale task force in finding a way to incorporate the returnees into the local cross-mandate programme and of not treating them any differently to other needy groups in the area. Despite considerable resistance from various sections of the returnees, particularly their leaders who wanted to same first class services they had enjoyed in Walda, this was eventually successful and certainly helped encourage people to disperse to their home areas later in the year.

In July and August, at the request of UNHCR, field staff of UN-EPPG assisted in the reception of 1,166 Ethiopian returnees airlifted from various locations in Kenya to Gode. Together with representatives of ARRA, UN-EPPG staff met new arrivals at the airport, received documents from the accompanying escorts and made arrangements for the returnees to receive a US $30 travel grant. Regular reports on the progress of the operation were passed to the Senior Repatriation Officer of UNHCR in Addis Ababa who was responsible for coordinating the Ethiopian side of the exercise.

Though it had been hoped that the estimated 27,000 Ethiopian refugees in the Kenyan border camp of Banissa would be repatriated at the same time as the caseload in Walda, this did not in fact take place until mid-December 1993, with the operation ending a few weeks later. The delay was due to a combination of continuing ethnic tension in the areas of origin and political maneavouring among the refugee leaders and local authorities on the Kenyan side of the border. Prior to the start of the repatriation, UN-EPPG staff made a number of visits to the home villages of the refugees, particularly Chilenko, Hudet and Wichale. Together with members of the Moyale task force and the zonal administration from Negelle an inventory of facilities requiring rehabilitation was drawn up and plans developed for a programme of assistance.

Rehabilitation activities

Apart from helping to provide relief to the numerous vulnerable groups resident in the camps, UN-EPPG has been instrumental in identifying and supporting rehabilitation opportunities in areas affected by returnees, refugees and displaced persons. For example, the UN-EPPG has continued to support the South Gode Farmer's Cooperative on former State Farm land whose project is funded jointly by UNDP and the Government. Help was given in transport (light plane service), vehicles (approximately 12 vehicle months), radio communications between Addis and Gode, stationary and office supplies, and even motorcycle rider training. By the end of 1993, a total of 800 hectares of old state farm land had been turned over to 800 local Somali farmers, with a further 1,200 farmers awaiting the outcome of a ballot for a further 400 hectares of land to be planted in the spring of 1994.

In May it became apparent that exceptionally good rains were resulting both in relief needs for flooded and/or inaccessible villages, and also opportunities for increased agricultural production from both flood-recession and rain-fed farmland. To capitalize on the opportunity, the UN-EPPG, with the Gode Emergency Task Force, mobilized donor support for a simultaneous programme distributing seeds and tools and relief food, shelter and medical supplies. The programme cost approximately US $250,000 (excluding inputs from the Government and NGOs) and in a period of one month supplied 123 rolls of plastic sheeting, 3,610 blankets, 431 cartons of BP-5 high energy biscuits, 31 tons of CSB, 238 tons of maize seed, 24,829 hand tools and various essential veterinary drugs to flood affected farmers and pastoralists, living along the banks of the rivers Wabe Shebelle, Fafen, Weib, Genale and Dawa. In true cross-mandate spirit, the effort was supported by UNHCR, UNICEF, FAO, the South East Rangelands Project, RRC, Save the Children UK, MSF-Holland and the Ministry of Defence, whose helicopter provided access to marooned villagers. UN- EPPG provided staff, coordination, finance and reporting to the programme.

As the harvest started to come in a few months later, the UN- EPPG identified the need for local purchases in the area to avoid the surplus production having to compete unfairly with free food aid from the camp populations and Somalia. Subsequently, a maize expert hired by WFP visited Kelafo in November where the purchase of just under 200 tons of maize was arranged through local farmers and merchants.

Meanwhile, the camp at Gode seemed not to be dispersing, despite favourable weather and security conditions. Under the auspices of the UN-EPPG and in cooperation with the Gode administration, a survey was arranged in July 1993 in order better to understand the composition of the camp population and their intentions. The survey was conducted in close collaboration with MSF-Belgium and came up with figures of 38,000 in the camp and an additional 18,000 in temporary housing in the town. Questions were asked on the origin, plans, occupation and length of stay at the camp. The report was made available to all interested parties, and has been distributed to relevant UN, NGO and donor agencies

Following the exceptionally good rains in May and June, UN- EPPG have watched closely the improving food supply situation in Region 5 and the Borena zone of Region 4. In September and October, a number of field assessments were conducted in these regions which confirmed that the main harvest had been exceptionally good in many areas, but especially around Kelafo, Kebridehar, Denan, Imi, Cheriti, Dolo and Sede. A little more worrying were signs in Borena that the important October/November rains had been somewhat patchy and pastoralists were concerned about the lack of suitable grazing and falling ground water levels in many localities.

Close contact has been maintained with a number of newly established indigenous NGOs in the area - Guardian, the Ogaden Welfare Society, the Ogaden Relief and Rehabilitation Society and the Ibrahim Foundation. International NGOs were notably absent from the Ogaden, with the exception of MSF Belgium in Gode and MSF-Holland in Dolo. Borena, on the other hand was well served with SCF (US) working in Negelle, CARE International in Yavello, and MSF-France, AICF and Mekane Yesus all very active in the Moyale area. Regular meetings were held in the field with all these agencies to exchange information and to discuss plans for future activities.

Numerous missions by aid agencies, government officials and journalists and others were assisted by UN-EPPG staff in the field with detailed briefings, guided tours, transport, accommodation, radio communications, drivers and translators.

UN light aircraft operations

Most, if not all, light aircraft operations run by the UN or NGOs for relief purposes in Africa are fully subsidized by the donor community. For instance, the cost of operating a light transport plane out of Djibouti to North West Somalia has been fully covered by UNHCR and in the DHA-SEPHA appeal for 1993, the UN in Kenya requested $1 million for one light aircraft while the UN Emergency Unit in Sudan requested no less than $4.7 million to cover the operating costs of just two light aircraft. Starting in May 1992, the United Nations in Ethiopia, through the UN-EPPG, adopted an entirely different system in light aircraft operations; one that has been held up as a possible model for similar programmes in other countries. This approach, which has been implemented in conjunction with the non-profit specialist NGO, AirServ International operating a single Cessna Caravan, has two important elements:
 
 

(1) The aircraft is operated on a fixed schedule of regular routes and destinations but with enough flexibility to include additional stops where there is a demand, and six or more "charter" days a month. Users are charged a fixed price per seat with extra charges levied for excess baggage or freight. This type of scheduling means that relief and development workers can plan their trips in advance and that there is a regular and reliable system available to the relief community to send parcels, urgent medicines and spare parts, funds and mail to their sub offices and personnel in the field. Also, for the individual users, it is much cheaper to fly one or two individuals on a per seat basis than it is to charter an aircraft.

(2) Unlike other "relief airlines", the UN light aircraft in Ethiopia is operated on a partial cost recovery basis with all users being charged for tickets, excess baggage and freight. This system not only encourages responsible use of the service but also means that agencies do not have to pay for non- utilized capacity or for expensive charters when they are not needed. As the UN light aircraft does not normally fly to destinations covered by the domestic service of Ethiopian Airlines, the two are complementary and there is no competition.

This new approach to light aircraft operations has resulted in a dramatic increase in effectiveness and efficiency over the previous charter system in virtually all operational indicators. For example, flight hours increased by 65%, total miles flown by 61% and the number of passengers carried by 45%. Also, income from freight and excess baggage has accounted for about 10% of revenues, whereas previously the extra load was carried at the expense of the operator.

In 1993, the NGO community accounted for about 50% of passengers, the UN agencies about 40%, Government staff 8% and embassies and donor organisations about 2%. As all passengers were charged for seats it was important that they had a direct say in important issues such as schedules and fares. To provide such a forum, a `Users Group' composed of representatives of the NGOs, UN Agencies and donors was established in mid-1992 to discuss and advise on schedule changes, fares, policies regarding freight and excess baggage and other operational issues.

UN-EPPG continued to manage the aircraft service until the end of October, when the contract with AirServ was passed over to UNHCR who were financially more able to absorb the increasing need to subsidize the service. At this time, relief operations in Eastern and Southern Ethiopia were being phased-out and, with improving security, demand for the aircraft was declining. As well as absorbing the costs of the operation, UNHCR undertook to continue running the aircraft following the principles of service and cost-recovery established by the UN- EPPG.

In addition to providing a regular passenger service to remote and often insecure parts of Ethiopia, in June 1993 the UN aircraft was used in Region 5 to shuttle seeds, tools, medicines, veterinary drugs and personnel to a number of villages stranded by the flooding of the Shebelle, Ganale, Dawa and Weib rivers. Flights were operated out of Gode and Dolo under the overall management of UN-EPPG field staff. 41 missions were flown during the period 31 May to 16 June delivering more than 20 tons of supplies to the villages of Bare, Cheriti, Hargele, Imi and Mustahil. Total accumulated flying time during the operation was approximately 27 hours at a cost of $13,932.00. A donation of $4,000 from Save the Children (UK) was used to help defray some of the costs with the remaining $9,932.00 offset against UNHCR funds provided for the project.

In the 18 months of service with UN-EPPG up to the end of October, the UN plane carried a total of 8,242 passengers, made 1,731 landings, flew more than 335,900 miles and carried about 173 tons of cargo. The total cost was calculated to be $1,140,577.50 - an average of around $63,000 per month. Funds recovered from users amounted to $797,781.67 as of 31 December, 1993, with another $144,849.63 remaining as accounts receivable. The total subsidy required from UN-EPPG resources, therefore, was $197,946.20, or just 17% of the overall operating cost of the aircraft. After allowing for the contribution of $119,715.78 from the European Union, a remaining $78,230.42 was left to be covered which has been set against the Dutch Government contribution to the UN-EPPG.

Details of costs and income are provided in Annex II, while the table overleaf shows a number of operational indicators for each month the service was provided by UN-EPPG.

The aircraft has also been of great value in providing an emergency evacuation service for NGOs and other agencies with field staff travelling or working in dangerous and insecure regions of the country. From May 1992, until the end of 1993, AirServ airlifted some 25 seriously injured and sick people, mostly to Addis Ababa but also to Djibouti and Nairobi. In addition, the bodies of 11 relief staff killed while working in the field were brought to Addis Ababa and more than 30 people have been evacuated for security reasons.

To further improve and enhance the effectiveness of this emergency evacuation service, from August 1993, AirServ with the UN-EPPG established a 24-hour radio watch and messaging service for agencies with staff working in the field. This enables people in trouble and in need of urgent assistance to be able to make contact with responsible UN officials in Addis Ababa who can then take action, either to mobilise the aircraft, obtain medical advise or expertise, or to simply pass urgent messages to the relevant agency headquarters. The service now operates every day of the week, throughout the year and has become a vital part of UN and NGO emergency contingency planning in Ethiopia.

The UN light aircraft has been a valuable, if not essential element of the success of the relief and rehabilitation programmes of all agencies working in the South and East of Ethiopia during 1993. Without the aircraft, agencies would not have been able to effectively deploy and support their staff in the field. Indirect savings due to the reduction of staff travel time have been enourmous and, due to the frequent closure of many roads in the Ogaden due to mines and banditry, without the aircraft many agencies would have had to simply stop all operations in the region.
 

MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES

Although operations in the cross-mandate areas of Region 5 and the Borena zone of Region 4 absorbed a considerable amount of the energy and time of UN-EPPG field staff in 1993, efforts were also made to visit and continue monitoring the situation in other areas of Ethiopia known to be vulnerable to famine, affected by displaced persons, desettlers (people returning from the old resettlement sites), or other problems. During these field visits, UN-EPPG staff met with NGOs, local Government officials, community leaders and ordinary farmers to gather information on relief and rehabilitation needs and discuss issues of coordination, programming and project implementation. Field visits were usually followed-up with detailed written reports that were circulated widely within the aid community in Ethiopia and abroad. Returning field staff would also brief the UN heads of agency at the regular DMT meeting, as well as meet with interested donors and NGOs to inform them of needs in the locations visited.

In many marginal areas of Ethiopia, both the short (Belg) and main season (Krempt) rains were unsatisfactory in 1993. To keep a close watch on the food supply situation, UN-EPPG field officers made frequent visits to regions of the country most likely to face food security problems including Tigray, Wello, Gondar, Borena and North and South Omo.

The Belg rains in the central and eastern highlands of Ethiopia in the first quarter of 1993 followed an unusual pattern; starting late in some places, with very heavy but short rains in other areas. These rains are essential to food security in many parts of South Western Wello and Southern Tigray, where the Belg harvest can comprise more than 40% of overall production. A UN-EPPG field officer visited Wello and Tigray in May to conduct an assessment of the situation. The findings clearly indicated the poor harvest potential in many Belg producing areas and the need for close monitoring as the season progressed.

By August, it was clear that the main season rains in many parts of Northern and North Western Ethiopia had been very poor. UN-EPPG began to despatch field officers to Wello, Tigray and Gondar on a more regular basis to monitor relief needs and assess likely food supply prospects. The eventual harvest in many northern areas was very poor with farmers in parts of North Wello and Southern Tigray not even able to harvest enough to replace the seed sown. The principle factor was the failure of the main rains at a crucial point in July and August, just when many crops were reaching the flowering stage in their development. However, the lack of access to various farm inputs such as fertilizer, pesticides and extension advise were also factors that significantly reduced overall production.

Various insects and other pests were to reported to UN-EPPG Field Officers to be an increasing problem in many northern areas. Infestations of Army Worm, Stalk Borer, rodents, crickets and grasshoppers were all damaging crops and reducing yeilds. Some farmers were reporting that pests were also resulting in pre- and post-harvest losses of up to 40%. Infestations of African Migratory Locusts also affected a number of lowland areas of Eastern Wello and Southern Tigray in April and May but despite fears of a new plague, the swarms were generally small and the damage to crops localised. UN- EPPG with FAO worked closely to keep donors informed of the locust threat and met regularly with donors, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Desert Locust Control Organisation (DLCO) to monitor the situation and identify resources needed to control the problem.

As the year progressed, it became clear that there would be major relief needs in many parts of Ethiopia. UN-EPPG worked closely with the RRC and NGOs to keep donors appraised of the situation and to provide information on expected needs. An assessment mission to Wello was undertaken by UN-EPPG staff in November and was among the first to detect signs of serious food shortages in places such as Sekota and Zequala. The mission also uncovered early signs of distress migration beginning to take place from isolated communities in the Sekota area, with some farmers moving towards Gondar and the main towns in search of relief assistance. A parallel assessment mission to Gondar by another UN-EPPG Field Officer confirmed this to be the case and documented efforts being made by relief agencies to meet the growing food needs.

Meanwhile, in Southern Ethiopia the October/November rains, which are essential for pasture and the regeneration of ground water levels, were erratic and very light. As a result, reports began to reach Addis Ababa that the condition of livestock was beginning to deteroriate, water availability was poor and the terms of trade between animals and grain declining. UN-EPPG responded by conducting two field assessments, one to Borena and one to South Omo, both of which are pricipally nomadic areas. The reports produced after these visits generally confirmed the unsatisfactory rains and deteroriating food supply situation. The South Omo report in particular, warned that a very serious situation was developing that required an immediate relief response. The RRC subsequently despatched an assessment team to the area and follwed this with the mobilisation of 5,000 tons of relief food for distribution to the most needy in the region. With the assistance of UN-EPPG, the RRC also organised a visit of donor and embassy representatives to South Omo were the deteriorating situation was seen at first hand.

The pattern of rainfall in the highlands of East and West Hararghe was similarly unsatisfactory. UN-EPPG field staff were also despatched to this area to monitor crop prospects and assess likely relief needs. While the situation observed in September was extremely worring, with crop losses in the order of 80% expected in some lowland areas, subsequent late rains helped crops in the higher altitudes to recover. A follow-up field visit in November confirmed this but also warned of the need to keep a close eye on possible relief needs in some pocket areas during 1994.

Structural adjustment and the demobilisation of more than 500,000 ex-soldiers and fighters have led to a growing problem of poverty and unemployment in urban areas of Ethiopia. The goverment, along with a number of donors and aid organisations are concerned to do more for the urban poor and prevent the process of social disintegration seen in many other developing countries. In an attempt to document and assess the effectiveness of current urban development programmes and the policies of the Government and donors, the staff of the UN- EPPG collaborated on the production of a special study on the present situation in Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa and Dessie. The resulting report has become essential reading for all those interested in the problems of the urban poor in Ethiopia.
 

INFORMATION AND COORDINATION ACTIVITIES

The collection and dissemination of timely and accurate information on relief needs and field operations is seen as essential to the coordination of an effective emergency response. The UN-EPPG is committed to providing a comprehensive information and public relations service on behalf of the UN system in Ethiopia. In this regard, the Technical Coordinator of the UN-EPPG, assisted by the Information Officer, acts as a focal point for the preparation and circulation of field trip reports, special assessments, briefing papers, appeals and other documents, and for maintaining contact with the Government (especially the RRC) donors, NGO community, and media on all matters concerning emergency operations and inter-agency cooperation and coordination.

During 1993, UN-EPPG staff briefed numerous visiting donor, UN and NGO delegations on the prevailing relief situation in Ethiopia and provided background information on past experiences and lessons. The Information Officer gave detailed briefings to a number of both local and international journalists and made arrangements for visits to the field. With the assistance of UN-EPPG staff, articles on relief and rehabilitation operations in Ethiopia appeared in a number of well-known newspapers and magazines, including the Independant, London Times, Guardian, Washington Post, the Economist and the National Geographic Magazine. Interviews were also given to the BBC World Service radio.

In addition to editing reports of the field officers, and briefing visiting journalists and donor representatives, the Information Officer continued to maintain and upgrade an extensive archive of relevant books, mission and assessment reports, newspaper clippings and other documents. This was open to any organisation or person wishing to have access and provides the aid community in Addis Ababa with a valuable source of information on past and current emergency operations in Ethiopia.

During 1993, using computer facilities available to the office, the UN-EPPG produced a number of statistical abstracts, charts and maps on behalf of various UN and NGO agencies. In addition, databases on trucking fleets, warehouses, road networks, airstrips and food deliveries were kept and regularly updated.

With good inter-agency communication and the exchange of information being the essence of coordination, the UN-EPPG continued to be an active member of several committees responsible for relief and rehabilitation policy, field operations and coordination. The principle committee within the UN system is the weekly meeting of the Disaster Management Team which comprises the heads of the main operational agencies, chaired by the Resident Coordinator. The UN-EPPG serves as the secretariat for this committee, providing background briefings, discussion papers and field reports. The Technical Coordinator of the UN-EPPG also attends the weekly heads of agency meeting at the RRC where matters of national policy are discussed together with the coordination of joint UN/Government initiatives, such as the cross-mandate approach. Another important forum for discussing relief needs and emergency operations in Ethiopia is the monthly meeting of the Informal Donors Group. In addition to ambassadors of the principle aid donors to Ethiopia, this committee includes the UN Resident Coordinator and representatives of the main UN agencies, including the UN-EPPG.

As well as arranging frequent informal meetings with individual NGOs, the UN-EPPG is also a member of the monthly Emergency Task Force committee convened by the umbrella organisation for NGOs working in Ethiopia, the Christian Relief and Development Agency (CRDA). On a more operational level, UN-EPPG attend the weekly shipping meeting chaired by WFP and attended by UN, donor, NGO and Government representatives. It is in this forum that pledges of relief food are discussed along with issues concering the scheduling of food shipments, port operations and the food pipeline in general.

Finally, in both Addis Ababa and in the regions, UN-EPPG is an active member of a number of special emergency task force committees, which are either chaired by the RRC or the local administrations. These have been established by the Government to take over the day to day management of relief operations in the field. In 1993, UN-EPPG staff represented the UN agencies on several such committees, including the Ogaden Task Force in Addis Ababa, the Gode Emergency Task Force, the Moyale Task Force and the Awassa Emergency Task Force which was responsible for operations in Borena.
 

STAFFING AND FINANCIAL DETAILS

The capacity of the UN-EPPG to coordinate, monitor and facilitate relief and rehabilitation activities is closely tied to its ability to recruit and deploy experienced and resourceful staff to the field. Using funds and in-kind contributions from the Dutch Government, Norwegian Government, UNHCR, WFP and other donors in 1993, the UN-EPPG was able to maintain a full complement of five experienced international Field Officers, a national Assistant Field Officer, an Information Officer, an Administrative Officer, the Technical Coordinator, four drivers and a secretary.

In 1993, cross-mandate operations in the South and South East of Regions 4 and 5 (Ogaden and Borena) required a considerable committement of staff time and resources from the UN-EPPG. The senior Field Officer responsible for operations in Region 5 was financed in 1993 through a contribution to the UN-EPPG from UNHCR. He travelled extensively throughout South and South Eastern Ethiopia and was instrumental in establishing the coupon-based food distribution system used in Dolo and for implementing with the Moyale Task Force a workable programme of assistance to displaced persons of all clan backgrounds living around Moyale. He also became the principle source of information and knowledge on the Ogaden within the UN-EPPG. As such, he acted as a resource person on a number of Government, UN and donor missions to the area, as well as briefing visiting journalists and NGO representatives.

Through most of 1993, the costs of keeping two Field Officers based in the Ogaden and Dolo area were met through contributions from UNHCR and WFP. Due to a break in funding during the middle of the year, however, there was a danger that these two staff would be lost. On the basis of funds recovered from users of the UN light aircraft service a solution was found to be possible in providing a two month bridging arrangement for August and September before further UNHCR funds came available.

The two international Field Officers included under this arrangement were employed locally on SSA contracts issued by UNDP. Both were Sudanese nationals with extensive experience working with the UN Emergencies unit in the Sudan, in addition to previous experience working in the Government and NGO sectors. In 1993, one officer was more-or-less permanently assigned to oversee operations in the Dolo area while the other took responsiblity for monitoring and assessing the situation in Borena. Towards the end of the year, both became more mobile and travelled extensively throughout the South and South East of the country.

With the management of the UN light aircraft service proving to be a considerable burden on the time of UN-EPPG staff, who would have otherwise been engaged on field-based duties, in November 1992, an expatriate chartered audit accountant was recruited on a local contract with UNDP to take over full responsibility for the operation. As the Administrative Officer, she managed all aspects of the financing and usage of the UN aircraft, including the invoicing of users and collection of payments. In addition, she managed the regular office budget and provided general administrative support and services for staff in the field. During 1993, a fully computerised accounts tracking system was developed with the help of the Administrative Officer which greatly improved the ability of the office to collect and record payments from users of the aircraft.

The UN-EPPG Technical Coordinator is responsible for all the operational and monitoring activities of the UN-EPPG. He reports directly to the Resident Coordinator of the UN system in Ethiopia and represents the UN-EPPG at the weekly DMT and RRC meetings and at meetings of the Informal Donors Group. Having worked with the UN in Ethiopia for more than 6 years the Coordinator has accumulated considerable experience of relief operations in the country and has become an important element in the insitutional memory of the UN-EPPG.

For some years this position has been funded through contributions from the US Government, mainly the Office for Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA). In 1993 the US decided not to provide a contribution to the UN-EPPG and instead pressed the UN to cover the core costs of the office through its regular budget to which all member states contribute. In the abscence of any progress on this point, in 1993 it was necessary to ear-mark the costs of the Coordinator against money given by other donors, principally the Dutch Goverment.

All UN-EPPG staff are expected to spend considerable time travelling in the country. The distances covered are often great, the places visited remote and the conditions arduous and sometimes dangerous. It is the philosophy of the office that only by maintaining a regular presence in the regions can a good understanding of conditions and needs be developed. Because of this extensive travel, staff daily subsistence payments (DSA) are considerable. The total cost of national staff DSA payments in 1993 was $15,583.55. This was set aginst funds committed by UNHCR and the Dutch Government.

Out of a total of twelve vehicles operated by the UN-EPPG, six were available for extended field travel in 1993 and three for fixed-base use at regional centres such as Dolo and Gode. With an average age of more than 6 years, the remaining three vehicles were mainly used in Addis Ababa for the delivery of documents, procurement duties and as staff transport. Field vehicles averaged around 3,500 kilometers each month and required regular maintenance to keep them safe and reliable. As no vehicle in the fleet was younger than two years, the cost was considerable. A total of $10,957.07 was spent on vehicle maintenance and repair, while $6,789.82 was used to purchase fuel and lubricants.

As described earlier, an important responsibility of the UN- EPPG has been to keep the UN agencies, donors and NGOs informed on what is taking place in areas of Ethiopia visited by its Field Officers. This has been particulary important for the success of the cross-mandate approach, which depends greatly on close cooperation between participating agencies and a detailed understanding of needs and local capacity to implement programmes of assistance. Reports, briefing documents and the minutes of meeting prepared by UN-EPPG Field Officers during 1993 have been reproduced and circulated widely, both in Addis Ababa and overseas. As well as using traditional methods of gathering and disseminating such information, the UN-EPPG has been among a small number of international organisations pioneering the use of computerised electronic mail (e-mail) in Ethiopia. This enables documents to be sent virtually instantaneously via the telephone network to almost anywhere in the world using computers connected to a modem.

The cost of administering this `public information service' in 1993, including such items as telephone and facsimile charges, office stationery, photocopier maintenance and operating costs, computer supplies and office sundries was $14,298. As office space was provided freely by UNDP, it was not necessary to budget for rental charges during 1993.
 
 

ACHIEVEMENTS

To summarize, UN-EPPG's field presence in cross-mandate areas South and South Eastern Ethiopia, and in areas of the country vulnerable to famine and other disasters during 1993 has provided:

better informed planning, design and implementation of cross- mandate and other inter-agency relief and rehabilitation programmes;

better targeted relief assistance to the camp populations in Gode, Dolo and Suftu;

a regular flow of information and analysis on the performance and impact of relief programmes implemented under cross- mandate principles by the RRC;

early warning of poor harvests, deteriorating pasture conditions and impending food shortages in parts of Northern, Eastern and Southern Ethiopia;

guidance, encouragement and coordination to all agencies involved in relief, rehabilitation and development;

a wide range of monitoring, assessment and policy papers that have been distributed widely in Addis Ababa and abroad;

advocacy in promoting the interests of the Ogaden and Borena with government bodies, donors, UN agencies, NGOs and media

a close monitoring of the needs of special groups receiving assistance from the RRC under the cross-mandate approach, including refugees, returnees, dislocated families and minority ethnic groups;

facilitation of local initiatives for peace, strengthening local administrative capacities and helping indigenous NGOs to raise funds and prepare project proposals;

cost effective and reliable air transport and emergency evacuation services to agencies working in remote and often insecure locations.
 
 

Mark Bidder Deputy Coordinator UN Emergencies Unit for Ethiopia 29 April 1994.
 

ANNEX I

Situation reports, needs assessments and other documents prepared by UN-EPPG field staff

UN-EPPG field and Addis Ababa-based staff have produced a wide range of monitoring and situation reports, needs assessments, briefing papers and other documents in 1993. The more significant are listed below. All are available from the UN Emergencies Unit for Ethiopia (formerly, the UN-EPPG).

Ogaden situation report for December 1992. By Gregory Alex, January 1993.

Final report of the joint UN/RRC Ogaden assessment mission. Prepared by UN-EPPG field staff, January 1993.

Ogaden field trip report for December/January. By Salim Ahktar, January 1993.

Gode task force minutes for 15 January. Prepared by Gregory Alex, January 1993.

January update on emergency operations in Borena. By Gregory Alex, February 1993.

March update on emergency operations in Borena. By Anthony Mogga et al, March 1993.

Ogaden update for April. By Gregory Alex, May 1993

Gode Task Force minutes for 10 April. By Gregory Alex, May 1993.

Locusts in Ethiopia - background paper. By Ben Parker, May 1993

Ogaden update for May (with new map). By Gregory Alex, May 1993.

Update on Ogaden emergency flood response programme. By UN-EPPG field staff, June 1993.

Field trip report - Wello and Tigray. by Mark Bidder, June 1993.

Dolo update. By Anthony Mogga, June 1993.

Gode camp survey report. By UN-EPPG field staff, August 1993.

RRC Task Force for Displaced Farmers in the Southern Region: Trip report to Kembata and Hadiyia zones. By David Deng, September 1993.

South West Ogaden and Dolo field trip report. By Anthony Mogga, September 1993.

East and West Hararghe situation report. By Gregory Alex and Admassu H/Yesus, September 1993.

Ogaden update. By Anthony Mogga, September 1993.

Tigray and Wello situation update. By Hans Spiess, September 1993.

Food needs in 1994: a confidential note prepared for the Resident Coordinator. By James Borton, October 1993.

Ogaden update. By Anthony Mogga, October 1993.

Dire Dawa - a brief situation report. By Gregory Alex and Admassu H/Yesus, October 1993.

Gondar situation report. By David Deng, November 1993.

North Wello field trip report. by Mark Bidder, November 1993.

South Omo field trip report. by Ben Parker, November 1993. 

West Hararghe update. By Anthony Mogga and Admassu H/Yesus, November 1993.

Situation report for N. Wello, S.Tigray and N. Gondar. By Hans U. Spiess, December 1993.

Special report on urban problems in Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa and Dessie. by the UN-EPPG staff, December 1993.

Ogaden update. By Gregory Alex, December 1993.

Field trip report: Borena. By Admassu H/Yesus, December 1993.
 

In addition, monthly situation reports covering UN, NGO and Government relief and rehabilitation activities, as well as political and economic developments, were prepared for the Department of Humanitarian Affairs and circulation to anyone interested, both in Ethiopia and abroad.