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Horn of Africa Drought Information Bulletin #4 (FY 2000)

Countries
Djibouti
+ 6 more
Sources
USAID
Publication date

Note: New information is underlined.
Background

The Horn of Africa is currently facing a humanitarian crisis of serious proportions, primarily due to a severe drought. Factors underlying the crisis include the cumulative effects of poor and unreliable rainfall and other shocks which have eroded assets and coping strategies in recent years. The worst drought-affected populations are pastoralists in southern and eastern Ethiopia, southern Somalia, and northern Kenya. The Nairobi-based Drought Monitoring Center has forecast below normal rains for the March - May season in the eastern parts of the Horn. USAID's/Famine Early Warning System (FEWS) reports that current climate dynamics in the Horn region are unfavorable to the likelihood of rain. Conflict and insecurity have exacerbated the current humanitarian situation in the Horn of Africa. Intense fighting erupted between Ethiopia and Eritrea in May 1998 along contested border areas and flared again in February 1999. The border clashes have disrupted trade and economic activity and affected humanitarian access to vulnerable populations on both sides of the border. On February 23, 2000, renewed border fighting was reported along the eastern front. The fighting, which occurred despite ongoing U.S.-supported diplomatic efforts to break the stalemate in peace efforts, receded quickly.

Numbers Affected

More than 16 million people are at risk of food insecurity in the Horn of Africa in calendar year (CY) 2000. Ethiopia faces the most severe crisis, with an estimated 8.3 million people currently at risk. An estimated 760,000 Eritreans are also vulnerable, primarily due to the ongoing Eritrea-Ethiopia conflict. (Approximately 100,000 people have been reportedly killed, wounded, or captured in the border conflict). An estimated 1.2 million people in Somalia are at risk of food insecurity. In addition, an estimated 2.7 million people in Kenya are at risk in the coming months due to prolonged drought. According to assessments conducted in late 1999, some 100,000 people in Djibouti, mostly located along the country's border with Ethiopia, will be in need of food relief in the coming months. In addition, an estimated 2.8 million people in Sudan and 550,000 people in Uganda are at risk of food insecurity, primarily due to ongoing conflict.

Current Situation

Ethiopia

The most critical humanitarian issue in Ethiopia continues to be the lack of infrastructure and resources to effectively monitor, deliver, and target relief assistance. USAID/Addis Ababa and USAID/BHR/OFDA staff are working to ensure relief deliveries destined for Ethiopia will not create a logistics bottleneck at the ports in Djibouti and Berbera, located in northwestern Somalia. In early April, USAID/BHR/OFDA and USAID/Addis Ababa dispatched a three-person logistics team to the Horn to assess port, airport, rail, and road conditions to support movement of humanitarian relief commodities. The team assessed the ports of Djibouti and Berbera and reported they appear to have the capacity to meet currently projected import needs. The port of Djibouti is estimated to have a monthly import capacity of 120,000 MT of bulk commodities. A potential for bottlenecks exists on the road from Djibouti to Ethiopia. The logistics team flew over the road from Berbera to Ethiopia and reported that a 60-km road section from Dikhil to Yoboki is in extremely bad condition and needs urgent repair. The Ethiopia-Djibouti railway is capable of transporting 9,000 tons of food to Dire Dawa, and the team has identified options to improve this capacity for movement of food commodities.

Current estimates of truck numbers indicate that there are about 3,000 long-haul trucks operating in Ethiopia. The estimated capacity for in-country distribution is estimated at 100,000 MT per month. Effective utilization and management of the trucking fleet available in Ethiopia is needed, according to the logistics team. (U.S. Embassy/Djibouti reports the main problem facing World Food Program (WFP) food distribution from Djibouti is the contracting and control of trucks in Addis Ababa). The logistics team is now in Ethiopia to continue its assessment and coordinate logistics operations. In addition to limited infrastructure capacity and resources, insecurity also continues to impact humanitarian access and response efforts in Ethiopia, particularly in the southeastern part of the country.

In mid-March, USAID/Addis Ababa deployed field monitors to drought affected areas in Borena zone, Somali region, and Amhara region. On March 28, USAID/Addis Ababa issued a current and worst-case scenario contingency response plan for Ethiopia in CY 2000. The plan outlines steps that must be taken to ensure an effective and multi-sectoral response, according to conditions outlined in the Government of The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia's (GFDRE) appeal and based on the possibility of a failed belg harvest.

On March 31, USAID/Addis Ababa reported that the secondary belg rainy season, which typically starts in February, has failed in many parts of Ethiopia. None of the agricultural production activities normal for this time of year have taken place, according to USAID/Addis Ababa. An estimated 1.3 million belg-dependent farmers will consequently continue to require food aid at least through December 2000. Scattered belg rains were reported the last two days of March, and a typical belg low-pressure trough that developed over Ethiopia in early April dissipated after a few showers. This rainfall may replenish some surface water supplies and allow opportunistic planting of some crops, but can also adversely affect the health of livestock already weakened by hunger. In the main meher agricultural areas (where planting normally starts in March for the harvest in October/December), land preparation for maize and sorghum is now late, USAID/Addis Ababa reports. The main harvest could still be reasonable if the meher rains, which cannot yet be predicted, are early and prolonged.

Overall, an estimated 7.7 million people are currently affected by drought in Ethiopia and require immediate food assistance. In addition, an estimated 613,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), war affected persons, and refugees need continuing assistance in CY 2000. Among the drought affected areas are pastoral zones in Oromiya and Somali regions, as well as Tigray and Amhara regions. Gode and Afder zones, located in the southeastern Somali region, have received inadequate rainfall for the past three years, resulting in high rates of malnutrition, severe water shortages, and a significant loss of livestock and other assets. In some pastoral areas in southeastern Ethiopia, up to 90% of cattle and 65% of goats are reportedly dying from lack of food and water. More than 57,000 people in Gode zone have out-migrated in search of food and water. Most of the IDPs are living with host families in Tigray Region, while some continue to live along the border.

On April 12, World Food Program Executive Director Catherine Bertini (recently appointed as the UN Special Envoy to the region) began a tour of the Horn of Africa to assess emergency food needs with a visit to drought-stricken southeastern Ethiopia. According to USAID/Addis Ababa, WFP has received approval from the GFDRE to take an overall lead and coordination role for U.N. logistics operations in Ethiopia, including coordination of incoming vessels to Djibouti port. USAID/Addis Ababa reports that the European Union (EU) expects to furnish 432,526 MT of food aid to Ethiopia through December 2000. Commodities will be divided between repayment of the GFDRE's Emergency Food Security Reserve, NGOs, WFP, and bilateral assistance to GFDRE. Of the total donation, it is expected 280,000 MT will be imported through Djibouti and 117,000 MT through Berbera. The remaining 33,000 MT will be purchased locally.

A recent U.N. assessment found that 716 deaths occurred in Gode zone between January and March 2000. The major causes of death were diarrheal disease, measles, respiratory infections, and malnutrition. USAID/Addis Ababa and USAID/BHR/OFDA have identified a gap in immunization coverage, control of diarrheal disease, and other health programs in-drought affected regions in Ethiopia. USAID staff are working with the GFDRE's Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Committee (DPPC), U.N. representatives, and international organizations to address this problem.

On January 21, the GFDRE's DPPC launched its appeal for 898,000 MT of food aid to meet the relief needs of affected populations in CY 2000. On January 28, the U.N. Country Team (UNCT) in Ethiopia issued a $190 million appeal in support of the DPPC appeal. (The GFDRE is reportedly allocating $43 million for the local purchase of 100,000 MT of grain against the UNCT appeal). On February 25, WFP approved a $137 million emergency operation plan (EMOP) to feed 2.3 million victims of natural disasters in Ethiopia from April - December. A total of 250,000 MT of food aid is required for this operation.

Eritrea

While emergency food aid needs for January/February have been partially met, there is a serious gap in available resources to meet needs in March/April. Current non-food priorities include shelter, water, health, nutrition, and food production. UNCT's appeal for humanitarian assistance in Eritrea in CY 2000 covers emergency needs for more than 583,000 war and drought affected Eritreans. The appeal includes a requirement for approximately 63,000 MT of food aid for a twelve-month period. The GSE recently requested assistance ensuring an adequate strategic food reserve for Eritrea and is seeking an additional 20,000 MT of wheat over and above its previous requests. The GSE has established a target of 80,000 MT for its strategic grain reserve.

The target population for the UNCT appeal represents a subset of 760,000 Eritreans estimated by the Government of the State of Eritrea (GSE) to require assistance. (Of the total 760,000 figure, 367,000 person are drought-affected persons and there are 393,000 IDPs, war-affected persons, and refugees). War-affected populations in Eritrea include IDPs, rural deportees, and host communities especially affected by the influx of IDPs. Most IDPs are located in Gash Barka and Debub (Southern) provinces. Drought-affected areas include the Anseba and Northern and Southern Red Sea regions. (WFP has identified 211,750 drought-affected people in Anseba and Northern Red Sea zones and is requesting 25,000 MT of food for general distribution and supplementary rations).

Somalia

In Somalia, drought and continued clan-based fighting have led to decreased coping ability and increased displacement. An estimated 1.2 million people are at risk in Somalia in CY 2000 and require 70,000 MT of annual food assistance. Among the worst affected areas is Bakool region, where almost 50% of the population, mostly pastoralists, is considered to need assistance. While a relatively favorable harvest has benefited irrigated areas near the Juba and Shabelle rivers in southern Somalia, the deyr season was almost a total failure in the drought-affected areas of Gedo, Bakool, Hiran, and Bay. FEWS reports that deyr production in Bakool was estimated at 113 MT, approximately 5% of the post-war average. An inter-agency assessment of Gedo in February indicated that the risk of famine in the area is low, but concerns remain regarding the potential for increased malnutrition and losses of assets such as livestock. Insecurity and poor infrastructure also continue to constrain the delivery of food aid. The WFP Food Security Assessment Unit (FSAU) recently reported a deyr cereal harvest of 108,000 MT in southern Somalia, which is 54% above the post-war deyr average.

Kenya

According to USAID/FEWS, malnutrition rates of 30-60%, compared to a normal rate of 15-20%, have been reported in pockets of northern and western districts, including Moyale, Turkana, Marsabit, and parts of Mandera and Samburu. Conversely, a good harvest has been reported in the drought-prone districts of Machakos, Kitui, and Makueni (Eastern). USAID/Nairobi reports that the Government of Kenya (GOK) has made considerable headway in improving targeting of its relief food. Reports indicate that donors have begun responding to a request by WFP for funding of a $43.4 million Emergency Management Operational Program (EMOP) targeting 1.7 million people in 18 districts in Kenya. Mid-March, USAID/FFP responded to the EMOP targeting beneficiaries in 9 of the 18 districts with 13,500 MT (worth an estimated 7.7 million dollars) food aid between February and June. Turkana district, located in northwestern Kenya, remains the most affected, with an estimated 250,000 people at risk.

Djibouti

On January 19, WFP approved a five-month EMOP to provide approximately 6,000 MT of food to 100,000 people in Djibouti (approximately one-sixth of the country's population) affected by prolonged drought. There has been no rain in Djibouti for six months, according to Embassy/Djibouti, and the number of malnourished infants in Djibouti has reportedly increased 100% since the fall of 1999. Supplementary feeding programs supported by Caritas assist approximately 1,500 malnourished children annually. An influx of drought victims from rural areas and neighboring countries has strained overburdened urban infrastructures in Djibouti. WFP to date has provided 14 tons of food and water storage/distribution equipment.

Sudan

Overall, more than 1.5 million people, representing 30% of the total population of southern Sudan, will require about 42,800 MT of food assistance in CY 2000. An additional 20,000 MT has also been requested to preserve assets for more than 200,000 people. Among the most vulnerable areas in south Sudan are Aweil East County (Bahr el Ghazal), Ruweng County (Upper Nile), and Abuyong (Lakes Region), as well as parts of Kapoeta and Torit counties (Eastern Equatoria). On April 6, five international NGOs reportedly applied to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) sponsored by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement /Army (SPLM/A). The five NGOs -- CARE, Save the Children Fund (SCF)/UK, OXFAM, Veterinaires sans Frontieres (VSF)/Germany, and VSF/ Belgium - had suspended their program on March 1 over disagreement on the MOU. The withdrawal of these NGOs, along with six others, particularly affected seed distribution and livestock programs in Bahr el Ghazal region. An increase in government aerial bombardments of civilians and GOS denial of air access in the south and Upper Nile and Nuba mountains are disrupting relief efforts and livelihoods in some locations. Drought and insecurity are also a cause for concern in parts of Kapoeta and Torit counties (Eastern Equitoria).

Uganda

The food security situation in Uganda has worsened, primarily due to the drought situation and IDPs located in the Northeastern Karamoja Region (Kotido and Moroto districts). The water and sanitation situation is precarious in sites where the displaced have gathered. Shelter materials are also needed. In early March, WFP began distributing food aid to the most vulnerable populations and has drafted an emergency appeal for 8,000 MT of emergency food aid for a six-month program. Since January, increased military deployment in Bundibugyo district (western Uganda) has improved civil security and humanitarian access to 100,000 IDPs in the district. In Uganda's northern Gulu and Kitgum districts, the civil situation remains insecure due to sporadic rebel attacks. The referenced 550,000 estimated amount of individuals at risk is essentially composed of 160,000 drought related and 390,000 displaced and war affected individuals.

USG Assistance

Ethiopia

To date in FY 2000, USAID/BHR/OFDA has obligated $3.5 million in response to the emergency humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia. This assistance includes $1 million provided on April 14 to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to airlift food commodities to Gode zone, located in Somali region. ICRC will airlift the commodities, including supplementary food rations and high-energy biscuits, from Nairobi and plans to distribute the supplementary food rations to 188,000 beneficiaries in Denan, Imi, Gudis, and Gode towns. The USAID/BHR/OFDA grant to ICRC comprises partial funding of a two-month daily airlift of pre-cooked fortified food, designed to complement the ongoing DPPC/WFP general ration distribution of wheat. ICRC hopes to end the operation in June but will continue through December if the need persists.

In mid-April, USAID/BHR/OFDA provided $1.5 million to CARE and Action contre le Faim (ACF)/France to implement emergency water and nutrition programs in Borena and Kebre Dehar, Korahai zone, located in Somali region. The CARE program will assist 147,000 pastoralists in Teltele, Dire, and Yabello (Borena) through a water and livestock de-stocking project, while the ACF supplementary/therapeutic program will benefit 33,600 malnourished people in Korahai zone.

On April 7, USAID/BHR/OFDA purchased 40 MT of WFP high-protein biscuits valued at $135,000 for drought response efforts in southeastern Ethiopia. USAID/BHR/OFDA also provided an additional $81,000 to WFP to transport the biscuits. The biscuits will be distributed as supplementary food to vulnerable populations in Gode and Korahai zones. Another airlift of 30 MT of high-protein biscuits and 10 MT of therapeutic milk arrived in southeastern Ethiopia on March 24, after a visit by USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Response Assistant Administrator Hugh Parmer. In March, Parmer conducted a two-week trip to Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti, and Eritrea to assess drought conditions and needs.

USAID/BHR/OFDA continues to review additional proposals from NGOs, the UN, and international organizations and expects to fund additional emergency programs in Ethiopia as needed. USAID/BHR/OFDA recently issued an Annual Program Statement (APS) for Ethiopia abridging the normal USAID/BHR/OFDA proposal guidelines in an effort to expedite the processing of emergency grants.

In early April, USAID/BHR/OFDA deployed a food security and agriculture specialist to Ethiopia to assess the agriculture and livestock situation and needs in drought affected areas. On March 23, USAID/BHR/OFDA deployed a water and sanitation specialist to Ethiopia to assess the water/sanitation situation in drought-affected areas, identify needs, and coordinate appropriate response activities.

In March, USAID/BHR/OFDA approved $150,000 to the UN Development Program (UNDP) to assist in countrywide drought monitoring and emergency coordination efforts. In addition, USAID/BHR/OFDA recently approved a $600,000 grant to WFP to increase the capacity of the port of Djibouti, which will assist in the delivery of food aid to Ethiopia in the coming months. (WFP is expected to complete improvements on the port by the end of June, allowing the present unloading rate at one berth to be doubled). USAID/BHR/OFDA also provided $592,577 to SCF/US to support an emergency water, nutrition, and local capacity building program, targeting pastoralists in Gode zone.

On March 3, USAID/BHR/OFDA provided $14,822 to deploy a technical expert to assess the impact of fires in southern Ethiopia. The fires are now reportedly under control, due in part to fire experts who helped the local population implement appropriate response actions.

The USG plans to donate 424,000 MT of food assistance valued at $152 million to Ethiopia during CY 2000. This USG assistance comprises nearly 45% of total MT requested by the DPPC. A U.S. vessel carrying 85,000 MT of relief commodity is expected to arrive in Djibouti on April 22. USAID/Addis Ababa is closely monitoring the progress of the vessel, particularly with regard to other expected shipments arriving at the same time.

To date, USAID/FFP/ER has approved over 128,520 MT of PL 480 Title II emergency food valued at more than $53 million to Ethiopia through WFP, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), CARE, Save the Children (SCF)/US, World Vision, and a local NGO (Relief Society of Tigray). In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is currently procuring 90,000 MT of wheat in repayment of the GFDRE Emergency Food Security Reserve, which has reached a critically low level of under 50,000 MT. The first shipment is scheduled to arrive in late April.

In addition to an earlier commitment of 63,000 MT of wheat, the USDA recently approved a contribution of 135,000 MT of wheat and 2900 MT of soy oil for Ethiopia through WFP. The total amount has been called forward.

Eritrea

USAID/BHR/OFDA is finalizing support for various emergency health/nutrition, water/sanitation, and shelter programs to assist war and drought-affected populations in Eritrea. These activities will be implemented in collaboration with the GSE's Eritrean Relief and Refugee Commission (ERREC). USAID/BHR/OFDA continues to support health, nutrition, and shelter activities to assist war and drought-affected populations in Eritrea through grants obligated in FY 1999.

To date, the USG has allocated the delivery of 40,500 MT of food valued at $12 million for Eritrea, part of which will be allocated to the GSE for replenishment of its grain reserve. The USG food assistance, which includes 38,000 MT of USDA 416(b) food commodities, is estimated to meet nearly 35% of food need requirements by the GSE.

Somalia

To date in FY 2000, USAID/BHR/OFDA has obligated $3.3 million to support emergency programs in Somalia, including $1.8 million provided to UNICEF for countrywide health programs. In addition, USAID/BHR/OFDA is providing $803,135 to Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) to implement a water rehabilitation project in Huddur and El Berde districts, located in Bakool Region. The project also aims to improve environmental sanitation and personal hygiene through health education awareness campaigns and will benefit 52,000 people in the drought-affected region, located in southern Somalia.

On April 3, USAID/BHR/OFDA obligated about $700,000 to International Medical Crops (IMC) for provision of health care services in three districts in Bakool Region, Somalia. The program will have a direct impact on the lives of 149,759 people in these districts.

In response to the emergency in Somalia, the USG is providing 24,000 MT of food valued at $14.5 million. Of this total, 6000 MT will carry over from the FY 1999 totals and 18,000 MT were approved for FY 2000.

Other

Kenya: In FY 2000 to date, USAID/BHR/OFDA has provided $403,358 to Kenya, including $11,500 to WFP to improve targeting and distribution of food aid in Kenya. USAID/BHR/OFDA has also provided a grant of $367,000 to World Vision to support the delivery of relief commodities to drought victims in the district of Turkana, in addition to the initial $25,000 provided for immediate response activities due to the drought.

In response to food needs in Kenya, the USG has approved 45,297 MT of food commodities, valued at $22.3 million. This USG assistance comprises 60% of food requirements identified in Kenya.

Djibouti: On April 13, the U.S. Ambassador to Djibouti Lange Schermerhorn declared a disaster in Djibouti due to drought. As requested, USAID/BHR/OFDA is providing $25,000 to Embassy/Djibouti for a supplementary feeding program for malnourished children run by Caritas.

The USG has pledged 2,750 MT of food aid valued at $850,000 to Djibouti which will meet nearly 45% of WFP's appeal for food aid.

Sudan: The USG has approved about 33,540 MT of food aid valued at about $38 million in food aid to Sudan. USAID/BHR/OFDA and Food for Peace continue to respond to the ongoing complex emergency throughout Sudan, focusing on chronically food insecure areas in the south. USAID/BHR/OFDA is providing additional funding to UNICEF to support emergency seed procurement and storage in Western Equatoria.

Uganda: In response to the emerging crisis in Uganda, USAID/BHR/OFDA recently provided $472,186 to Action Contre le Faim (ACF) for emergency health and water/sanitation activities in Gulu district, northern Uganda. USAID/BHR/OFDA also obligated $6,512 to obtain the short-term services of a program officer to make funding recommendations for USAID/BHR/OFDA programs and monitor the situation, particularly in north and west Uganda. The USG has allocated 8,015 MT of food aid valued at $4.9 million to Uganda, comprising 20% of total requirements.

USAID/BHR/OFDA Assistance to the Horn (FY 2000 to date): $7,727,725

USAID/BHR/FFP/ER and USDA humanitarian food assistance to the Horn (FY 2000 to date)*: $254,101,746

Total USAID and USDA humanitarian assistance to the Horn (FY 2000 to date): $261,829,471

*USAID/BHR/FFP figures in this bulletin include assistance to both drought-affected persons and IDPs.

NOTE: Information on the Horn drought can be found at: http://www.info.usaid.gov/about/horn_of_africa.