ReliefWeb

Highlights

▪ All regions except the Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s (SNNP) region recorded an increase in Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) admissions compared to the same period in 2019. In Tigray and Amhara regions SAM admissions in 2020 are more than 50 per cent higher than admissions recorded during the same period in 2019. UNICEF supported the drafting and dissemination of guidelines to ensure optimal service provision in the context of COVID-19 including management of SAM, infant and young child feeding practices and data collection for surveillance purposes.

▪ UNICEF supported a national measles campaign that reached 14.4 million children aged 9-59 months (96 per cent national coverage). UNICEF provided Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as well as technical, financial and logistical support through two key pillars: communication and social mobilization, and vaccine management.

▪ According to the UNOCHA Ethiopia Flash Update No.3, in July and August, at least 151,828 people were affected by floods, including 100,176 people who were displaced. Overall, floods during the rainy season (June-September) are expected to affect more than two million people and displace 435,000 people. UNICEF has provided Emergency Drug Kits, WASH NFI’s, including water treatment chemicals, BP-5 emergency food and tents for shelter. Funding Overview and Partnerships

Funding Overview and Partnerships

UNICEF appealed for US$139 million in 2020 with the objective of sustaining the provision of life-saving services for women and children in Ethiopia. So far, contributions to the appeal have been received from Sweden, Japan, UNOCHA, Canada, the Department for International Development (DFID), the United States Agency for International Development’s Food for Peace (FFP), and the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO). At the end of August, the 2020 HAC had a funding gap of 66 per cent (Refer to Annex B on page 11). Without sufficient funding, it is estimated that 500,000 people will not have access to adequate sanitation, an estimated 5,000 children will not be able to be reunited with their families or be placed in appropriate alternative care and the nutrition supply pipeline will be disrupted and many of the 570,000 children with severe acute malnutrition will be denied lifesaving treatment. UNICEF Ethiopia’s current response to the COVID-19 pandemic is funded separately. Situation reports may be found at https://www.unicef.org/appeals/ethiopia_sitreps.html.

Situation Overview and Humanitarian Needs

An estimated 4.87 million children have been identified as needing humanitarian assistance in 2020. The humanitarian needs in Ethiopia are complex and have been compounded by previous years’ (and continuing) caseloads of protracted displacements from droughts, floods, and conflicts as well as recurrent outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, measles and polio, all of which have exhausted community capacities, Government resources and fragile services, including the health system. With the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, these needs have been exacerbated and essential health services have become overstretched.

In the reporting period, the humanitarian situation has been aggravated by flooding in numerous regions. Some 151,828 people were affected by recent floods (July and August). By mid-August the number of people displaced due to flooding was 100,176 people, more than half of whom were estimated to be children. Houses and schools have been destroyed, livelihoods have been lost and WASH and other public infrastructure, such as roads have been damaged. Overall, floods during the rainy season are expected to affect more than two million people and displace 435,000. The risk of further flooding remains high during the remainder of the rainy season, which goes to the end of September. The National Disaster Risk Management Commission (NDRMC), in collaboration with humanitarian partners including UNICEF, is currently working on flood preparedness and operational response measures.

Desert locusts continue to destroy crops and vegetation, affecting communities in Afar, Amhara, Oromia, Somali, and Tigray regions and Dire Dawa. The locusts have directly impacted livelihoods and food security in affected communities. FAO’s appeal of US$ 48 million for desert locust control currently has a funding gap of 36 per cent. It has been estimated that the combined effects of both the COVID-19 pandemic, the desert locust infestation and flooding could increase the number of children on average that are malnourished by 24 percent. Therefore, the total number of children UNICEF is targeting for SAM treatment has been revised from the initial 460,000 children at the start of 2020 to 570,000 children.

According to IOM, Ethiopia received more than 25,500 returnees between 1 April and 13 August with at least 1,830 returnees in quarantine centres at the time of reporting. The Government, with support from IOM and other partners including UNICEF, has provided direct assistance to the returnees in quarantine facilities. The support has included registration, food, water, Non-Food Items (NFIs), and onward transportation assistance.