UNITED NATIONS  DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME Emergencies Unit for Ethiopia

1. INTRODUCTION

A field trip was carried out after the end of the long rainy season (Meher). The general impression of representatives of the Agricultural Bureaux, Relief and Rehabilitation Bureaux, non-governmental organisations and wereda officials was that the situation had generally improved towards the end of September. Relief distributions, which were hampered in many areas during the rainy season due to inaccessibility and poor feeder roads, had resumed. In some places rations allocated to beneficiaries had increased, and beneficiaries coming to the distribution points to receive food aid were generally in good health conditions.

The shootfly infestation on teff cultivations was the most important plant pest occuring at the time of the field trip. The degree of infestation differed throughout Regions 1 (Tigray) and 3 (Amhara).

The staff met at the regional and zonal MoA offices were reluctant to predict the outcome of the Meher harvest. This was well understood since the main harvest was still two months away in most areas. Also, several teams were conducting assessments at the time of the field trip and preliminary results were only expected at the beginning of November.

Information gathered by regional and zonal representatives of the RRB and MoA optimistically indicate that the current conditions are quite good in most areas. However, it appears that Region 1 is in a better situation than Region 3, in which some pocket areas still face difficulties after the crop harvest.
 
 

2. REGION 3 (Amhara)

2.1. Relief activities

According to the regional Relief and Rehabilitation Bureau in Bahir Dar, a total of 1,586,557 beneficiaries received food rations in Region 3 during the months of July, August and September. The rainy season hampered food distributions, particularly in the Simien mountain weredas of North Gonder zone, Ibnat and Simeda weredas in South Gonder zone, the Sekota and Lalibela areas of North Welo zone and the western weredas in South Welo zone.

With the end of the rainy season, normal food distribution resumed except in areas where bridges were washed away and need to be maintaned.

2.2. Agriculture

At the beginning of October 1994 crop assessments by the Relief and Rehabilitation Bureau, the Ministries of Agriculture and Natural Resources were carried out throughout Region 3. The participants of these assessment missions were previously trained in a workshop held in Addis Ababa.

Three teams were established to conduct the assessments: one team covering North and South Gonder zones, a second in charge of North Welo and Wag zones and a third team covering South Welo, Oromo and North Shoa zones. The results of these assessments, which were to be avialable by the end of October, are meant to assist the FAO/WFP Crop and Food Needs Assessment Mission in their assessment.
 

3. South Gonder zone

3.1. Relief and food for work activities

According to the regional RRB, the September food distributions took place in October in the previously drought-affected weredas of South Gonder zone.

While visiting Ibnat, it was observed that food distributions were taking place by Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC) and Ethiopian Relief Organisation (ERO). ERO was providing assistance to 35,000 beneficiaries and EOC to 50,000 (EOC increased the quota from 33,000 to 50,000 beneficiaries). The existing satellite distribution points in Ibnat wereda were still inaccessible and some beneficiaries still had to travel two to three days to reach the distribution site in Ibnat town.

ERO had temporarily suspended relief distributions in June due to lack of food stocks. After resuming distributions, they were concentrating available resources on Belessa wereda (North Gonder zone). Therefore, RRB distributed monthly rations in Ibnat to approximately 30,000 beneficiaries during June, July and August.

Although distributing agencies (EOC, ERO and RRB) could not cover the total drought-affected population requested by the wereda administration of Ibnat, the local administration was appreciative of the emergency food assistance received during the past nine months. Food distributions, which had started at the beginning of the year, prevented out-migration as early as March. As a result of the peasant farmers remaining in the wereda, all arable land was prepared for cultivation this year.

Several pocket areas in Ibnat wereda received insufficient Belg and Meher rains, whereas heavy rainfall in the area near the Tekeze river basin resulted in floods destroying crops, housing and taking the lives of three people as well as a number of livestock.

3.2. ERO food for work project

Following the onset of the rainy season, ERO reduced its FFW project entitled Ibnat - Belessa road improvement, but expected to resume project activities in October. The following quantities of food grain were distributed under this road project from June to August:
 

MONTH	GRAIN in MT	MANDAYS
June	382.000	127,333
July	27.380	30,191
August	29.654	10,057
TOTAL	439.034	167,581

(Participants in the project were the inhabitants of Ibnat wereda (S.Gonder zone) and Belessa wereda (N.Gonder zone)
 

4. NORTH GONDER ZONE

4.1. Relief activities

At the beginning of October, EOC distributions for the month of September in Janamora and Beyeda wereda took place in Debark town. EOC increased the quota for Janamora wereda to 50,000 beneficiaries, an increase of 15,000, whereas the quota for Beyeda wereda remained at the initial figure of 15,000 beneficiaries.

RRB had distributed a three months' food ration to 50,000 beneficiaries of Adis Selam wereda, in July. These beneficiaries were to receive their rations in May Tsemri town (in Region 1, along the Gonder - Inda Selassie road), located at a walking distance of up to three days.

The RRB distributed food rations for the month August in Debark town with the following breakdown:

30,000 beneficiaries Beyeda wereda

15,000 beneficiaries Janamora wereda

4,000 beneficiaries Debark wereda

The RRB planned to distribute rations to the same number of beneficiaries in Beyeda and Janamora weredas at the end of October.

Debark wereda still maintain a figure to 51,000 drought-affected persons and questions why the zonal and regional RRB have not responded to their request for additional assistance.

According to the EOC representative, no food was being sold in Debark after distributions. However, The wereda administration mentioned that considering the two to three days walk the beneficiaries have undetrtake from Janamora and Beyeda wereda, the high costs of renting a donkey and the presence of "shiftas" (bandits) in some areas, a large quantity of the distributed food was sold in Debark. It should be noted that not much of this food was sold to the inhabitants of Debark as they could not afford to compete with the prices offered by traders coming from Gonder and Bahir Dar on the distribution days to buy up oil and grain.

4.2. Agriculture

According to the zonal Ministry of Agriculture in October, it was still too early to comment on the outcome of the harvest. A zonal assessment team was visiting the weredas at the time of the field trip. In the highlands, frost damage could occur in November and could lead to a reduced yield. There were reports of Welo-bush cricket and grasshopper infestations from some weredas in the zone, and there is also fear that rodents might appear once the grain is maturing. The result of the RRB and line ministries crop assessments were expected to provide more details. Even with the relatively good rains, the zonal MoA is of the opinion that Belessa, Wegera, Beyeda, Janamora and Debark weredas will still need assistance after the harvest.
 

5. REGION 1 (TIGRAY)

5.1. Relief

Western zone: REST started September distributions in the zone at the beginning of October. The quota for September was for about 53,000 beneficiaries. The same quantity had been determined for the month of August, but in Sheraro wereda 6,000 beneficiaries did not receive rations due to insufficient stocks. No oil and supplementary food was expeted to be distributed in September.

Central zone: The July and August distributions of REST commenced with some delays in distribution plan. In August, a total of 266,100 beneficiaries out of a target population of 300,000 received rations. Due to inaccessible roads, however, some 34,000 beneficiaries in the area of Southern Tembien (north of Sekota) did not get their food.

Eastern zone: In the Eastern zone, a targeted 500,000 beneficiaries also received rations for August with some delay, as distributions took place in September. Distributions for the month of Sptember started at the beginning of October, and the quota was to remain at 500,000 beneficiaries. It was observed that REST, with assistance from the RRB, was the main distributor in the zone. However, Wemberta and Atsbi weredas received relief food assistance from World Vision International (WVI). At the time of the visit, the RRB was negotiating additional relief distribution in Atsbi and Wemberta with World Vision.

Southern zone: Distributions in the Southern zone were being carried out smoothly, with JRP serving 241,909 beneficiaries in the zone and 37,000 beneficiaries in Mekele town. Also, ERCS/IFRC had increased the quota for the three weredas of Adi Gudom, Wajirat and Hintalo from 55,000 to 80,000 beneficiaries. October distributions were already underway at the beginning of the month, and it was expected that a total of 358,909 beneficiaries would benefit in October.

5.2. Agriculture

As with Region 3, zonal crop assessments were underway in the four zones of Tigray. The teams were expected to finalise their reports by the end of October.

The regional representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture were rather optimistic about the outcome of the harvest. The large areas damaged or destroyed by armyworm infestation had been replanted with teff and chickpeas. The extent of damage to beehives, caused by the aerial spraying of armyworm, was more severe in the Eastern and Central zones. Detailed information about the actual damage had not yet been compiled by the MoA.

At the time of the visit, shootfly infestation on teff was reportedly the most important problem facing the agricultural bureaux. Shootflies were particularly attacking the teff variety cross-37, which had been applied with fertilizer. The experts were concerned that such a development could lead to a setback in the efforts of extension agents in promoting the use of fertilizer.

Rodent infestation, which had been extremely severe in the Central zone last year, had not yet been observed.

According to the MoA, the loss of plow-oxen during the drought-period had little impact on land preparation in the region, and most the arable land had been prepared for cultivation.

A new regional veterinarian laboratory is soon to be completed in Mekele, but, so far, no budget has been allocated for the employment of laboratory technicians. Unless this problem is solved the new laboratory will not be able to function efficiently. Previously, laboratory tests were conducted in Asmara, and are now sent to Addis Ababa, in a process that consumes a great deal of time.

Western zone: The main rains (Meher), although above normal extent and amount, ended ten days (one dekad) early and may lead to crop reduction in some parts of the zone.

Heavy rain and hailstorms in Simena, Humera, Tsembla, Adi Arkay, and Adi Hageray weredas in the last week of August damaged teff, sorghum, maize and millet cultivations (640 hectares damage 100 %, 775 hectares damage 20 - 75 %). Also, 126 hectares of sorghum were completely destroyed by flooding in Adi Awalla wereda at the end of August.

Anthrax and blackleg were observed to be the prominant livestock diseases effecting sheep and goat. The zonal MoA is not well equipped to treat these common diseases as they are experiencing a shortage of vaccine and equipment.

Central zone: In the Central zone of Tigray, the Kremt rains were sufficient and proceeded normally during the Meher season. However, a total of 3,423 hectares of cropland was damaged by hailstorms and heavy rain in eight weredas of the former Axum and Adwa awrajas. The average damage in these areas is estimated at approximately 60 percent. Also, teff cultivations reported to have ben infested by shootflies had reached 2,005 hectares at the beginning of October.

Eastern zone: At the time of this field trip the zonal MoA had already carried out a pre-harvest estimation of the expected Meher crops and how much food aid would be necessary to cover the needs of the population for the coming year. The following breakdown provides the results of this assessment:

BELG: exp.: 128.4 MT actual: 16.7 MT area: 304 ha
MEHER: exp.: 107,287.4 MT estim.: 79,016.9 MT area: 100,176 ha

According to the assessment, the combined Belg and Meher crop production should be able to feed 493,347 persons (1.65 quintal minimum requirement/person/year) or 56 % of the zone's population. Therefore, the food aid requirements for the coming year would amount to 66,260 tons, needed to cover the deficit.

Although all arable land in the zone was prepared and cultivated, and the areas damaged by the armyworm outbreak had been replaced by chickpeas and other short-season crops, there is still an expected reduction in production due to poor soil conditions.

Southern zone: Following an almost complete failure of the Belg harvest, the lowland weredas of Alamata, Mehoni and Chercher were badly affected by shootfly infestations on the teff crops. According to the regional MoA, a total of 4,507 hectares were affected in the three weredas, with an estimated crop damage of 70 percent.

It was also observed that water availability for human and animal consumption had already become a critical issue in these weredas and people as well as animals had to once again travel long distances in order to obtain water.
 

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