UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER |
COUNTRY TEAM
ETHIOPIA
to the UN Country Team
12 July Appeal
Since the start of 1999, estimates of relief needs of people severely affected by drought and crop failure (as a result of poor 1998 meher and 1999 belg harvests, as well as increasing vulnerability in previous years) have been steadily increasing as a result of worsening conditions. Many households in the most affected areas who were previously considered to be at risk but not in need of emergency assistance have now reached the limit of their asset protection and coping strategies. From an initial figure of 2,157,080 drought affected people in need of immediate assistance released by the Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission (DPPC) in December 1998, the number increased to an estimated 5 million people in need of food assistance (386,586 MT) by July. In response to these worsening conditions, and in support of the DPPC's appeals for assistance, in June the World Food Programme issued an Emergency Operation for 103,253 MT of food (93,600 MT of which was cereals) to assist 1.2 million people. Response to this EMOP was extremely good; the entire amount was fully resourced within twelve weeks. The DPPC's overall appeal also received a very positive pledge response, 96% as of 25 November.
On 12 July, the UN Country Team (UNCT) issued a joint Relief Action Plan and Appeal for Severely Drought Affected Areas of Ethiopia which outlined the most urgent nonfood needs for the period July - December 1999.[1] This Appeal was based on the findings of a joint UN/DPPC assessment carried out in June 1999 as well as other information from the field. It specifically targeted the zones of South Tigray (Tigray Region), North and South Wello, Wag Hamra (all in Amhara Region), East Harerghe (Oromiya Region) and Konso Special Wereda and Welayita in North Omo Zone (Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region - SNNPR), the areas identified by the DPPC as being most severely affected. Proposed inputs in the areas of water and sanitation, nutrition, health and immunization, and agricultural support amounted to a total of US$ 7.5 million. In addition to the UN Appeal, several nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) and NGO consortia also issued separate appeals for assistance to help alleviate the effects of the food shortage in these and other affected areas. Of the $7.5 million in non-food assistance appealed for in the UNCT Relief Action Plan and Appeal, approximately $2.2 million in confirmed pledges have now been received. This constitutes 30% of the total amount non-food appealed for.
This report provides a final summary of assistance received in support of the UNCT Relief Action Plan and Appeal. It includes both food and non-food, cash and in-kind contributions of major international donors, assistance both appealed for and provided by major implementing agencies. It also provides as complete a listing as possible of funds received by NGOs for assistance to the drought affected. The report is broken down by sector. A summary of these combined amounts is also provided. Pledges in the areas of medical support, including expanded immunization coverage (EPI) and supplemental feeding (in this case considered a medical intervention), water and sanitation, agricultural support, and monitoring are also given. This report is an update of the report issued by the UNCT on 11 August: "List of International Contributions for Assistance to Severely Drought Affected Areas of Ethiopia," and figures contained herein should replace those in that report.
Continuing Needs for 1999
Despite these developments, the food shortage emergency continues to persist. New areas of concern have been identified in North and South Gondar zones, Gurage zone, Borena zone, Somali region (particularly Gode zone), and Gambella region. On 15 October the DPPC issued an "Update on the Current Food Situation and Relief Need from October to December 1999". According to this document, the number of people requiring immediate assistance until December has risen further.
Monthly needs for the remainder of the year for the drought affected are:[2]
October 6,619,586 people
November 6,462,844
December 4,216,785
To meet the needs of these beneficiaries as well as those of the displaced, the DPPC plans to use 200,000 MT of already available food to cover part of the total requirement and has appealed for an additional 74,023 MT of cereals to meet the shortfall.
In addition to the cereal requirement for the remainder of 1999, the DPPC Update estimates that 4,400 MT of supplementary food is needed to distribute to 979,142 children under the age of five in the most vulnerable areas. The UNCT Relief Action Plan and Appeal includes 1,952 MT of supplementary food, of which OFDA has resourced 706 MT (cost contribution), leaving a shortfall of 1,246 MT. This commodity is being procured by WFP and programmed by UNICEF in collaboration with the DPPC (See Section 3).
To supplement the necessary food requirement, support is still needed in the health, water and sanitation sectors to prevent outbreaks of disease (particularly malaria at the end of the rainy season) to which those in a weakened nutritional condition are at increased risk. In the agricultural sector, seeds, tools and traction animals are needed before February 2000 since many of the most vulnerable farmers have liquidated their assets in order to purchase food in the short term and may thus be unable to prepare their fields for the belg 2000 season.
WFP's Emergency Operation for assistance to drought affected areas, launched in June, is for 103,253 MT of food: 93,600 of cereals and the balance being pulses and blended food. To date, the EMOP is fully resourced, with cereals pledges exceeding more than 20% of the requested amount. Since the last UNCT Appeal update, Canada donated an additional 1,492 MT in last August and a pledge of 30,000 MT from EU was confirmed in September. Belgium also made a donation in November for 2,000 MT. Moreover, an additional 22,368 MT of cereals were channeled from development project ETH 2488 to drought stricken areas to be distributed through Employment Generation Schemes (EGS). The full amount for the EMOP's appeal for pulses (3,620 MT) has been fully resourced through contributions from the USA and Spain. In addition, the appeal for blended food (6,033 MT) has been fully resourced by the USA and WFP's Immediate Response Account.
In response to the DPPC's October appeal update, WFP prepared a budget revision for 60,414 MT of food (including 58,216 MT of cereals) to cover 30% of unmet needs for the period November - December 1999 and 30% of initially identified needs for the first quarter of 2000. The details of the budget revision are given in Table 2.
Confirmed cereal pledges in support of the Government's overall appeal for the drought affected total 371,594 MT. This figure indicates that over 95% of the requirements have been met for the period of June-December, leaving a shortfall of only 14,992 MT or 3.88%. Recently, the Nordic Churches (Denmark, Sweden, Iceland) received a donation from Danida, Christian Aid, Diakonisches Werk and Norwegian Church Aid for 8,152 MT of food, to be distributed through Joint Relief Partnership (JRP) partners (Lutheran World Federation/Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and the Ethiopian Catholic Church/Catholic Relief Services). A donation was also made by the Canadian Foodgrains Bank for 700 MT to the Ethiopian Evangelical Church/Mekane Yesus) and 1,700 MT for Food for the Hungry International (FHI) as a response to an appeal by the JRP in support of the DPPC appeal (See Section 10: Other appeals). The Lutheran World Federation also received an emergency grant of 2 million Danish kroners from Danish Church Aid/Danida, with which 664 MT of locally purchased wheat and 59 MT of Famix were procured.
In order for food to be made available for immediate distribution to beneficiaries, food is being borrowed from the EFSR against confirmed pledges. However, current food stock levels in the EFSR remain relatively low and donors are encouraged to expedite repayments as quickly as possible. As most of the pledges were used against borrowings from the EFSR, the anticipated incoming food is destined for repayment to the EFSR; thus no large carry-over stocks are expected for the year 2000.
June to December 1999 (cereals only)
| ||
Appeal
|
Beneficiaries
4,993,725 + update figure
|
Qnty
(MT)
460,609
|
Pledges
|
||
WFP
EMOP 6143
|
93,600
| |
USA
|
41,000
| |
EC
(DGVIII)
|
30,000
| |
EC
(DGD)
|
11,100
| |
Canada
|
11,507
| |
Sweden
(part of US$230,000)
|
674
| |
Spain
(part of US$350,000)
|
9
| |
Belgium
|
2,000
| |
WFP
IRA (part of US$ 2.5 million donation)
|
6,350
| |
WFP
2488
|
22,368
| |
Sub
Total
|
113,908
| |
%
of WFP EMOP
|
121.70%
| |
DPPC
|
||
USDA
|
90,000
| |
USA
Title III
|
25,000
| |
USA
(1998 Assab Replacement)
|
9,528
| |
EU
|
20,000
| |
GoE
|
20,000
| |
Sub
Total
|
164,528
| |
NGOs
|
||
EC
- various NGOs
|
44,629
| |
USA
- CRS
|
13,110
| |
Netherlands
- SCF/UK
|
10,000
| |
UK
- SCF/UK & SOS Sahel
|
9,000
| |
Norway
- NCA
|
4,143
| |
Canada
- EECMY
|
700
| |
Canada
- FHI
|
1,700
| |
Spain
- Action Aid
|
760
| |
Denmark
- LWF
|
964
| |
Nordic
Churches - JRP (LWF/EECMY, EOC,
ECC/CRS)
|
8,152
| |
Sub
Total
|
93,158
| |
Global
Pledges
|
371,594
|
96.12%
|
Global
Shortfall
|
14,992
|
3.88%
|
Note: Cash pledges have also been received from: China 100,000 US$ Italy 1.7 million US$
Finland 353,000 US$
|
Table 2. WFP EMOP 6143 Budget Revision
Crop Failure Budget Revision
Source:
WFP, 25/11/99
Nov
99 to March 2000 (cereals)
Qnty
(mts)
Appeal
(Nov - Dec)
74,023
Appeal
(Jan - Mar 2000)
260,069
Total
334,092
Pledges
WFP
EMOP 6143 B/R
58,216
Finland
1,070
EU
(DGD)
9,040
Sub
Total
10,110
Shortfall
WFP EMOP
48,106
82.63%
Global
Pledges
48,106
14.40%
Global
Shortfall
285,986
85.60%
Several donors provided funds for temporary movable storage units, including Norway which provided three large units through Norwegian Church Aid valued at US$ 1,124,265 and OFDA which provided six units to SCF-UK.
WFP EMOP 6143 for assistance to the drought affected includes 6,033 MT of supplementary food for targeted distribution to the most vulnerable (pregnant and lactating women, and children under five), which has been fully resourced. To meet additional needs for supplementary food, the UNCT Appeal includes a joint proposal by WFP and UNICEF to provide an additional 1,952 MT of supplementary food and 370 MT of oil to the most vulnerable women and children. OFDA (Office for Foreign Disaster Assistance, a division of the US Agency for International Development) provided $400,000 for provision of 706 MT of supplementary food. The remainder remains unresourced. For programming and monitoring of this project, UNICEF reprogrammed $14,600 from its own resources. No pledges were received against the 370 MT of oil appealed for.
Amount
MT
|
Remarks
| |
OFDA
|
706
|
$400,000
provided to WFP
|
Apart from the UNCT appeal for supplementary food, several NGOs have received funds through their own special appeals to donors to provide blended foods and other commodities in their project areas.
Table 4. Non-UNCT Appeal Supplementary Food
Amount
MT
|
Remarks
| |
US
Ambassador's Fund
|
42
|
$25,000
given to CRS, to be distributed by SCF-UK in North Wello
|
UK
|
486
|
Famix
through SCF/UK for North & South Wello
|
EU
|
1,500
|
Funds
for Local Purchase through NGOs on basis of proposals
|
Various
natl Red Cross societies
|
SFr
700,000
|
SFr
170,000 outstanding from IFRC Appeal for Sup. Food in S. Wello, 24,716 bens.
Ambassel & 15,243 bens. Kutaber - 6 mths.
|
OFDA
|
300
|
Famix
through SCF/UK for North & South Wello
|
DanChurch
Aid/ Danida
|
59
|
Through
LWF
|
CRDA
|
55
|
Through
InterAid France
|
In addition to the blended foods being provided by SCF/UK, OFDA has also provided funds for the continuation and expansion of SCF-UK's nutritional surveillance programme (NSP). This has enabled the NSP to be restarted in East and West Harerghe. Training of SCF and DPPD staff (who will work with SCF in this respect) has already begun as part of SCF/UK's capacity building programme with DPPC.
4.1 Expanded EPI
Of the $609,000 requested for support to the Ministry of Health's EPI programme in the most severely affected areas, UNICEF has reprogrammed $358,000 from its own resources, and has received $10,450 from OFDA. These inputs are expected to cover the most crucial of the EPI requirements (provision of cold-storage equipment and logistical support, supplementary vaccines and supplies).
Appeal agency: UNICEF - Total appeal amount $ 609,000 -
balance unresourced $240,550
| |
Donor
|
Amount
US $
|
UNICEF
|
358,000
|
OFDA
|
10,450
|
4.2 Medical Support
Although WHO and UNFPA have appealed for a total of $2,210,688 for medical support to health care facilities in the worst affected areas, response to the health sector of the appeal has been quite low. To date, WHO-Geneva has confirmed the availability of $300,000 for support to the Ministry of Health's malaria control efforts in the most affected areas. This amount includes $200,000 that has been reallocated from other WHO funding to the MOH.
Donor
|
Amount
US $
|
Status
|
Remarks
|
WHO HQ
|
In
kind, technical assistance
|
Confirmed
|
Offer
from WHO HQ to support training, integrated management of children's illnesses
& surveillance
|
WHO
|
100,000
|
Confirmed
|
For
malaria control in drought areas
|
WHO
|
200,000
|
Confirmed
|
Reallocation
from MOH to be used for malaria control
|
UNFPA
|
50,000
|
Pending
|
Requested
from UNFPA headquarters for reproductive health services and supplies
|
In addition to these inputs, LWF spent approximately ETB 400,000 on drugs in North Wello. Medecins Sans Frontiéres-France has also been providing supplementary food, measles vaccines, and medical support to selected PAs in Bugna and Gidan weredas in North Wello. In view of improved malnutrition rates and expectations that the harvest will at least cover immediate food needs over the next few months, this project will be discontinued after a final distribution in November.
The UNCT Appeal included $1,773,000 for emergency rehabilitation of water points and environmental sanitation in areas where the health conditions of the affected population are particularly vulnerable. Thus far, UNICEF reallocated $353,000 for rehabilitation of water points in East Harerghe. OFDA provided funds to UNICEF for provision of emergency water point rehabilitation in East Harerghe, Konso, and North Wello, and to support urban sanitation efforts in North Wello. UNDP also reallocated $43,000 for water point rehabilitation in East Harerghe.
Table 7. Water and Environmental Sanitation
UNDP
|
43,000
|
Re-allocation
of existing resources - East Harerge water point rehabilitation - other areas
also possible but not among UN priority intervention areas
|
UNICEF
|
353,000
|
East
Harerge water point improvement - Grawa, Babile & Fedis weredas
|
OFDA
|
151,250
|
For
emergency water point rehabilitation in East Harerghe, Konso, & North
Wello, & to support urban sanitation efforts in N. Wello
|
Table 8. Blankets
OFDA
|
135,300
|
Distributed
by UNICEF - 12,000 pieces
|
Table 9. Agricultural Support - UNCT Appeal
Kombolcha Brewery
|
In
Kind
|
Confirmed
|
Donated
by-products to DPPD for distribution in South Wello
|
FAO
|
25,000
|
Confirmed
|
Re-allocated
existing resources - for seed purchase
|
FAO
|
400,000
|
Confirmed
|
Funded
from FAO HQ
|
UNDP
|
80,000
|
Confirmed
|
Trac
1.1.3 for transport of fodder & seeds and technical support
|
In addition to the agricultural support provided for in the UNCT Appeal, several NGOs have organized seed distributions through their own or donor resources.
Table 10. Agricultural Support - NGOs and Non-UNCT Appeal
CRS
|
US$75,000
|
seeds
and tools for East Harerghe, through Harerghe Catholic Secretariat
|
EU
|
380
MT
|
through
SCF/UK for seeds in North and South Wello
|
SCF/UK
|
232.5
MT
|
regular
development project for distribution in emergency areas (North Wello & Wag
Hamra)
|
Belgium
|
US$
840,000
|
Belgium
funded FAO on-going project for wheat and teff seeds in Amhara Region (Wag
Hamra, North & South Wello, Oromiya & North Shewa). This project
pre-dates the UNCT Action Plan/Appeal
|
Various
natl Red Cross societies (see Table 6)
|
part
of SFr 700,000
|
Part
of IFRC appeal for SFr 870,000. Approx. SFr 181,000 for 63 MT Chickpea seeds
(immediate planting), 209 MT barley seeds (next Belg), 90 MT wheat seeds
(next meher) - division of resources with supp. food (see above) not yet
finalized
|
US,
UK, Australia, Canada
|
186
MT
|
To
be distributed in North by World Vision
|
In the UNCT Action Plan/Appeal, the UN Emergencies Unit for Ethiopia proposed to expand its ongoing field monitoring and reporting functions to provide the following services: (1) Analysis and reporting on the wider humanitarian and social consequences of the drought; (2) Monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the UNCT programme in the field; (3) Preparation of periodic and final narrative donor reports for donors contributing to the UNCT; (4) General coordination of the response vis-à-vis the UNCT member agencies and the general humanitarian community (including donors and NGOs). The Swiss Government, through Swiss Disaster Relief, is covering the costs of employing two local consultants for three months (at a total cost of $18,000), and OFDA provided $34,500 to support coordination and field monitoring activities of the Unit.
Member agencies of the Joint Relief Programme (JRP) have submitted a joint appeal to ACT for 101,979.55 MT of mixed commodities for distribution in their respective project areas. This appeal is based on government figures of people in need. Thus far, 8750 MT of cereals (plus 1250 of regular development programme food) have been donated by the Government of Denmark for distribution in North Wello, East Harerghe, and SNNPR (See Table 1).
As indicated above, food needs for the WFP EMOP for assistance to the drought affected have been fully resourced. Total non-food contributions towards the UNCT Action Plan/Appeal stand at $2,210,700, including both confirmed and pending pledges. This amount is 30% of the total appealed for. Potential donors are urged to consider the remaining needs in light of available resources.
Food and Non-food Requirements
|
Appeal
Amount
|
Response
|
Outstanding
Requirement
|
I.
Food
|
|||
Food Requirement (WFP EMOP 6143)
(cereals only)
|
93,600
MT
|
113,908MT
(122%)
|
fully
resourced
|
II.
Non-food
|
|||
Supplementary Food
|
$1,500,584
|
$414,600
|
$1,085,984
|
Health
|
2,819,688
|
590,550
|
2,229,138
|
Blankets
|
330,000
|
135,300
|
194,700
|
Water and Sanitation
|
1,773,000
|
547,250
|
1,225,750
|
Agriculture
|
1,008,000
|
505,000
|
503,000
|
Monitoring
|
18,000
|
52,500
|
fully
resourced
|
Total
Non-food
|
$7,449,272
|
$2,245,200
|
$5,238,572
|
%
Response, Non Food
|
30%
|
70%
|
ACT Action by Churches Together
CRDA Christian Relief and Development Association
CRS Catholic Relief Services
DFID Department for International Development (UK)
DPPC Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission
DPPD Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Department (zone)
EECMY Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus
EFSR Ethiopian Food Security Reserve
EMOP Emergency Operation
EPI Expanded Programme of Immunization
EU European Union
FAO Food and Agricultural Organization
FHI Food for the Hungry International
IDP Internally Displaced Person
IRA Immediate Response Account (WFP)
IFRC International Federation of the Red Cross
JRP Joint Relief Partnership
LWF Lutheran World Federation
MSF-F Medecins Sans Frontiéres-France
MT Metric Tonne
NCA Norwegian Church Aid
OFDA Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (US)
SCF/UK Save the Children UK
SNNPR Southern Nations Nationalities & Peoples Region
UNCT United Nations Country Team
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
UN-EUE United Nations Emergency Unit for Ethiopia
UNFPA United Nations Population Fund
UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund
USAID United States Agency for
International Development
USDA United States Department of Agriculture
WFP World Food Programme
WHO World Health Organization
[1] This figure does not include those displaced by the conflict with Eritrea. Prior to 15 October 1999, the DPPC's total figure of people requiring assistance (drought affected and displaced) was 5.3 million.
[2] Note: this does not include food requirements for the internally displaced and those returning from Eritrea. Beneficiary figures for the displaced and returnees are: 365,316 in October and 347,195 in November and December. Source: DPPC Update, 15/10/99. Food needs for the displaced have been only 56.72% resourced, and food supplies are extremely limited.