 |
Ethiopia |
Disaster Assistance at a Glance
Recent Disaster Declarations:
Complex Emergency, Drought
OFDA Response:
Agriculture and Food Security, Health, Humanitarian Coordination and Information Management, livelihoods, Logistics and Relief Commodities, Nutrition, Protection, and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
OFDA Preparedness:
Seed multiplication, flood mitigation, climate forecasting
Latest OFDA Report:
Horn of Africa Fact Sheet #15 (418kb PDF) and map (1.01mb PDF)
Humanitarian Assistance in Review, FY 2002-2011 (275kbPDF)
Ethiopia: Increasing Water Access (54kb PDF)
East and Central Africa Region Fact Sheet #1 (293kb PDF) and map (203kb PDF)
Ethiopia Complex Emergency Fact Sheet #2 (56kb PDF) and map (422kb PDF) |
|
|
|
Most Recent Disaster Declaration:
Complex Emergency, 10-19-2011
Consecutive seasons of failed rains combined with a rapidly growing population, inflation, localized conflict, and endemic poverty contributed to an ongoing complex emergency in Ethiopia. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, drought conditions resulting from La Niña weather patterns resulted in water shortages throughout Ethiopia, exacerbating humanitarian conditions. In addition to below-normal harvests, failed rains resulted in pasture and water shortages for livestock, leading pastoralists to crowd animals around limited grazing resources, increasing the risk of livestock disease spread. Deteriorating animal health led to decreased market prices for livestock, and pastoralist families that rely on milk for their children experienced shortages due to animals’ limited ability to produce milk. Acute malnutrition rates surpassed emergency threshold levels, and the influx of drought- and conflict-affected refugees and livestock, particularly from Somalia and Sudan, increased pressure on limited food, water, and pasture. As of September 29, 2011, approximately 4.8 million people in Ethiopia remained in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
On October 19, 2011, U.S. Ambassador Donald E. Booth renewed the Ethiopia complex emergency disaster declaration for FY 2012. In FY 2011, USAID/OFDA provided more than $35.3 million in humanitarian programming, including support for agriculture and food security, health, humanitarian coordination and information management, nutrition, protection, and water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions, as well as the provision of logistics support and relief commodities.
Additional Disaster Declaration:
Drought, 02-04-2011
Failure of the October to December 2010 short rains due to La Niña weather patterns has resulted in water shortages throughout Ethiopia, particularly affecting Somali and Oromiya regions, as well as Tigray, Amhara, and Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s (SNNP) regions, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Decreased water availability for human and animal consumption has adversely affected livestock health, crop yield, and food security in recent months, negatively impacting health and nutrition conditions among affected populations. In addition, OCHA reports that worsening pasture conditions have led to abnormal and increasing livestock migrations, including an influx of livestock from the drought-affected neighboring countries of Kenya and Somalia. According to the USAID-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), drought conditions are expected to intensify through mid-2011 due to the continued effects of La Niña and high probability of failed or delayed April to June long rains.
On February 4, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Tulinabo S. Mushingi declared a disaster due to the effects of the drought. Priority needs include food security, health, nutrition, and water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance. USAID/OFDA staff in Washington, D.C., and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, continue to monitor humanitarian needs and are developing a response strategy to provide immediate assistance in coordination with USAID/Ethiopia and the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa.
Complex Emergency, 10-25-2010
Despite temporary improvements in food security due to above-normal June to July 2010 Belg harvests, a significant proportion of the population remains food insecure in Ethiopia. Consecutive failed seasons of rains, a rapidly growing population, inflation, and endemic poverty have contributed to food and water insecurity in large areas of Ethiopia, including Somali Region and parts of Afar, Amhara, Oromiya, Tigray, and Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples (SNNP) regions. According to the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (GFDRE), 5.2 million people required emergency food assistance nationwide in 2010. In addition, 8.3 million chronically food insecure beneficiaries receive cash or food support through the GFDRE Productive Safety Net Program. Land degradation and poor access to health services, safe drinking water, and markets limit vulnerable populations’ ability to weather shocks.
On October 25, 2010, U.S. Ambassador Donald E. Booth redeclared a disaster due to the ongoing complex emergency in Ethiopia. In FY 2010, USAID/OFDA provided more than $23 million for humanitarian interventions in Ethiopia. USAID/OFDA ongoing humanitarian assistance programs in Ethiopia include nutrition, agriculture and food security, economic recovery and market systems, health, humanitarian coordination and information management, logistics and relief supplies, and water, sanitation and hygiene interventions.
For information on additional USAID disaster responses, please see OFDA Annual Reports.
Back to Top ^
|
