It is to be recalled that the revised Humanitarian Requirements Document (HRD) for July-December 2011 was released last Monday, July 11. The 37 page Joint Government and Humanitarian Partners document discusses in detail. It is presented in four major parts plus an executive summary and Annexes, which presents detailed data.
Here are the contents of the report, excepts the non-food sections of part 2 and part 3 and the annexes.
Humanitarian Requirements July 2011
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The continued La Niňa episode during the first half of 2011 has deteriorated the food security situation in the south and south eastern parts as well as in the belg dependent and sugum receiving areas of the country. The poor performance of short-cycle crops and deterioration of livestock body conditions and production contributed to rising malnutrition in some La Niňa affected areas. On the other hand, flooding poses a threat during the second half of 2011 with National Meteorological Agency‟s (NMA) forecast of normal to above normal kiremt rains.
Accordingly, the findings of the multi-agency assessment and monitoring results indicate that approximately 4.5 million beneficiaries require relief food assistance during July to December 2011.
The total net emergency food and non-food requirements for the period July to December 2011 amounts to USD 398,439,730. The net food requirement, including TSF needs, stands at 419,259 MT, estimated to cost around USD 329,834,684. In addition a total of USD 68,605,046 is required to respond to non-food needs of identified beneficiaries in the health and nutrition, water and sanitation and agriculture and education sectors.
Table 1: Summary of Humanitarian Requirements (USD)-2011
1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
The prolonged La Niòa conditions have affected a second consecutive rainy season, which resulted in the deterioration of food security situation in the drought-affected areas as well as in the belg producing and sugum receiving parts of the country. Despite some belated rains starting from the first week of May, the overall performance of the belg (mid-February to May) and gu/ganna/sugum (March to May) rains was largely poor and characterized by delayed onset, erratic distribution and long dry spells. The failure of sweet potato harvest in SNNPR compounded with poor performance of short-cycle crops, as well as the drought-induced reduction in livestock production resulted in increased cases of malnutrition in worst affected areas.
The late onset and poor performance of the rains has resulted in poor belg harvest prospects, including a delay in the harvest time (one to two months in some areas). The anticipated poor harvest, combined with the failure of gap-filling food harvests (sweet potato, vegetables, haricot beans, and green maize) and increased grain prices, is expected to further exacerbate food insecurity and malnutrition, particularly in belg-dependent areas of SNNPR and eastern and central parts of Oromia. The situation is not expected to improve before August/September 2011, when some delayed belg harvest is expected. However, late-planted crops face a heightened risk of damage during the forthcoming kiremt rains as they approach maturity, while their belated maturation also impedes re-usage of the plots for planting of meher crops in July/August.
The deterioration of the food security situation has had a serious impact on nutrition in the affected areas, with monthly reports from Therapeutic Feeding Programmes (TFPs) showing increasing admissions trends in most La Niòa -affected woredas over the past four months. In SNNPR, TFP admissions increased by 42 per cent between February and March 2011 and by 90 per cent between March and April. Likewise in Oromia, TFP admissions increased by 36.5 per cent between February and March, although they remained relatively stable (at the higher rate) in April. In Somali, admissions increased by 6 per cent during March-April (with 71 per cent of TFPs reporting). Nutrition situation also deteriorated in woredas that experienced poor belg performance in SNNPR, Oromia and pocket woredas in Amhara region.
Meanwhile, the extended dry season in pastoral and agro-pastoral areas provoked a serious drought, as highlighted in the April HRD revision, with critical water and pasture shortages affecting the entire Somali region and large swathes of the Oromia and SNNP lowlands. Early livestock migration (in-country and cross-border with Kenya and Somalia) further deteriorated livestock body conditions, reduced livestock productivity and livestock mortality were reported in some areas, particularly in Bale, Borena and Guji zones of Oromia and in the seven deyr-receiving zones of Somali (Afder, Degehabur, Fik, Gode, Korahe, Liben and Warder). Although the recent rains have temporarily relieved the severe water shortages and significantly contributed in browse regeneration, pocket areas of Somali, Oromia and Afar regions remain dependent on water trucking. Additionally, the rains will not have been sufficient to recharge existing water schemes adequately to take through the June to September dry season, posing a likelihood of water shortage, until the seasonal rains (deyr) commence in October 2011.
On top of the ongoing outbreaks of measles and meningitis, as well as sporadic cases of dysentery and other existing health concerns in various parts of the country, the start of the rains increases the threat of outbreaks of diseases such as malaria and diarrhoeal diseases, particularly acute watery diarrhoea (AWD).
Flooding also poses a serious threat for the second half of the year, with the NMA‟s latest forecast indicating normal to above-normal kiremt (June to September) rains across western, northwestern and central parts, with a high probability of both river and flash flooding in flood-prone areas. The DRMFSS-led national Flood Task Force has been reactivated and a Flood Alert has been prepared to provide the forecast for the 2011 kiremt season and identify flood risk areas in order to trigger timely mitigation, preparedness and response measures. Preparation of a flood contingency plan is underway. The flood sectoral requirements identified in the flood contingency plan have also been incorporated in this document.
The Government and humanitarian partners are undertaking emergency multi-sectoral interventions to address the needs of all affected populations, with financial support from Government and donor sources. To ensure a well coordinated response, the Government reactivated the Multi Agency Coordination (MAC) and Incidence Command (IC) Systems, which have been expanded to include representation from the humanitarian and donor partners. The MAC provides strategic guidance and coordinates response at the national level, while the ICs facilitate and coordinate response at regional and zonal levels in the worst-affected areas (Jijiga and Gode zones in Somali region, and Yabello, Borena zone in Oromia).
Despite ongoing efforts by the Government and its partners, resource shortfalls have impacted humanitarian operations during the first half of 2011. In particular, relief food shortage, led to reduced ration sizes and distribution of incomplete food baskets in some areas. The growing food security challenges, however, necessitate urgent reinforcement of response efforts and scaling up of operations by all actors, including mobilization of additional resources. As part of efforts to expedite timely resource mobilization and response, the belg/gu/ganna/sugum multi-agency and multi sectoral assessment was conducted during the first half of May, earlier than the regular schedule. The present document identifies additional emergency food and non-food sectoral requirements identified through that assessment and based on review of secondary data. Follow up assessments will be conducted in the coming months to capture new developments in the situation on the ground, particularly in the northern and northeastern parts of the country.
2. REVIEW OF THE 2011 HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE
2.1. Relief Response to the 2011 Humanitarian Food Requirements
Based on the findings of the 2010 meher needs assessment, the Government and its partners released the first Humanitarian Requirements Document (HRD) in February 2011. The requirement document identified 2.8 million relief food beneficiaries. The deterioration of the food security situation in La Niňa affected areas, led to an increase in relief beneficiary numbers in Oromia and Somali regions, which brought the total beneficiary figure to 3.2 million.
The total net requirement for the first half of 2011 identified in the February and April HRD was 189,606 MT. Out of this, donor contribution up until end of June 2011 stood at 164,190 MT (see Annex I for details) of which 93,267MT was delivered in country while the balance 70,923 MT is expected to arrive in July/August 2011.
The total food requirement for the first half of the year was about 279,897 MT. From January to June, 206,647 MT of food was allocated and dispatched in four rounds by Government and its partners. The dispatched amount covers 73 per cent of the requirement for the first half of the year. Out of the total of 206,647 MT allocated food DRMFSS, the NGO consortium Joint Emergency Operation Plan (JEOP) and WFP (Hubs and Spokes) handled 37 per cent, 18 per cent and 45 percent respectively (See Table 2 below for details)
Table 2: Summary of Food Dispatched in Four Allocations (January to June 2011)
Out of the four rounds of relief food allocation during January to June 2011, the first two rounds of allocated food were distributed and the third is under distribution; whilst, the fourth round is under dispatch. In DRMFSS assisted areas (37 per cent of the 3.2 beneficiaries), incomplete rations and food basket were allocated from the second to fourth rounds due to resource shortfall. During the second round apart from critically drought affected lowland parts of Oromia Region, only cereals and pulses without blended food and oil were allocated. The allocation for the third round constitutes a full ration of cereal and oil and a reduced ration of pulse without blended food. For the fourth round, a full ration has been allocated only for cereal with a reduced ration of pulse and blended food only for La Niňa affected areas in Oromia and SNNP regions without oil. The pipeline status of JEOP is healthy and will continue allocation with a full food basket and ration up to the seventh round whereas the pipeline of the Somali Region under Hubs and Spokes operation can cover with full basket and ration up to the fourth round.
Review of the 2010 Targeted Supplementary Feeding (TSF) Programme: The TSF Programme provides fortified blended food and vegetable oil to under-five children, pregnant and lactating women suffering from moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) identified through the EOS/CHD screening. In the February HRD for the first half of 2011, a total of 53,215MT of blended food and oil were requested for 2011 to be distributed in four quarterly distribution rounds to address an estimated 956,000 beneficiaries in 168 woredas. To address the need, in the first half of 2011, a total amount13,096 MT of food was distributed to 470,877 beneficiaries. The amount of food distributed was less than planned because of resources constraints and delays in screening. The programme usually distributes two rounds of food for beneficiaries screened; in the first half of the year, however, only one round of food was provided for the beneficiaries.
3. THE 2011 FOOD AND NON-FOOD HUMANITARIAN REQUIREMENTS
3.1. Relief Food Needs
3.1.1 Objectives
The primary objectives of the emergency food intervention are to save lives in times of crisis. The Relief programme protects the livelihoods of beneficiaries and enhances their resilience to shocks, and to support the improved nutritional and health status of children, pregnant and lactating women and other vulnerable individuals.
3.1.2 Requirements
As per the findings of the 2011 belg/gu/ganna/sugum assessment, an estimated 4,567,256 people require emergency food assistance from July to December 2011 (See Table 3 below). The total food requirement for July to December 2011 is estimated at 450,708MT, constituting 365,096 MT of cereals, 36,510 MT of pulses 10,953 MT of oil and 38,335 MT of blended food (See Table 3 below). Available resources from confirmed donor contribution from the first half of 2011 expected to arrive in July/August totals to 70,923 MT, leaving a net requirement of 379,785MT amounting to approximately USD 292,434,684.
Table 3: Affected population and Relief Food Requirements by Region during 2011
Food Basket Contents: Distribution of a full food basket ration will be resumed, provided receipt of adequate and timely contributions. The complete food basket constitutes: 15 kg cereals, 0.45 kg vegetable oil and 1.5 kg pulses per person per month. The planned supplementary ration for “blanket” distributions to particularly vulnerable groups, assumed to be 35 per cent of the total population in need, consists of 4.5 kg of blended food. The general ration supplies 2,050 kilocalories/person/day, while the supplementary ration supplies an additional 570 kcal. In view of the growing deterioration of nutritional status, it is crucial that an adequate ration of the full food basket is distributed to beneficiaries.
Distributions: Based on the assessment results, the respective regions are expected to submit their food allocation request to DRMFSS on time. The woreda committees composed of community members and local officials will manage food distributions to beneficiaries.
Coordination, implementation and monitoring: At the Federal level, the Disaster Risk Management and Food Security Sector (DRMFSS) remains responsible for mobilizing food aid resources. The Food Management Taskforce (FMTF) will play an important role in facilitating the allocation process by reviewing the available food resource against the requirement.
3.1.3 Targeted Supplementary Feeding Programme:
During July to December 2011, the TSF Targeted Supplementary Feeding (TSF) programme requires a total of 39,474 MT amounting to USD 37.4 million to address the needs of an estimated total 708,921 targeted under-five children, pregnant and lactating women in 240 woredas. The TSF programme provides fortified blended food and vegetable oil to under-five children, pregnant and lactating women suffering from moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) identified through EOS screening.
4. OVERALL STRATEGY
Coordination Mechanism
The National Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Committee (NDPPC), being the Apex body in the national DRM arena will provide policy guidance and makes decision on DRM related strategic issues. The overall coordination of the humanitarian response remains the responsibility of the Government at all levels, including the federal, regional, zonal and woreda. The Government is also responsible for facilitating the active participation of relevant partners, including donor governments, UN agencies, national and international NGOs, civil society organizations (CSOs) and affected communities.
The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), through its Disaster Risk Management and Food Security Sector (DRMFSS), is responsible for overall coordination. The Early Warning and Response Directorate (EWRD) will continue to monitor the disaster risk and to issue alert about impending disasters and facilities linkage between early warning and assessment results with appropriate and timely responses. Likewise, respective government structures at regional, zonal and woreda levels will play a similar coordination role.
The sectoral taskforces on Food Management ,Agriculture, Health and Nutrition, WASH, and Education, led by the Disaster Risk Management and Food Security Sector (MoA), Ministry of Health (MoH), Ministry of Water and Energy (MoW&E) and Ministry of Education respectively will be responsible for coordination, monitoring and reporting on emergency and recovery interventions in their respective sectors, in partnership with the relevant partners which include UN agencies, NGOs and donors.
The DRMTWG which brings together all actors of DRM, also plays a significant role in coordinating response and providing the early warning system with triangulated inputs, and linking the early warning and assessment outputs to timely and appropriate responses. The Ministries, through their respective Task Force chairpersons, will provide the DRMTWG progress reports and monitoring data by attending its monthly meeting or when required.
The Multi-Agency Coordination (MAC) group led by DRMFSS and comprising of representatives from the respective Sectoral Task Force chairpersons and humanitarian partners coordinates and provides strategic guidance to facilitate effective response at all levels. Furthermore the Incidence Command System (ICS) has been put in place with the view to facilitate information exchange with MAC regarding status of response and developing situations on the ground.
The special logistics arrangement in Somali Region – the Hubs-and-Spokes system –will continue to operate, building on the improvements already witnessed in allocation and dispatch and delivery of food aid. The DRMFSS/EWRD, along with the relevant federal and regional authorities and in collaboration with WFP will coordinates storage, transportation and distribution of relief food in the region.
Effective coordination among Government, UN agencies, NGOs and donors is crucial to ensure timely and comprehensive humanitarian response through proper implementation of the strategies and approaches developed by the Government to address humanitarian needs and effectively avert the risks of disasters. The Ethiopian Humanitarian Country Team, led by the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) and comprising the heads of UN Agencies, including FAO, OCHA, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, WFP and WHO the country directors of IOM, ICRC, the Ethiopian Red Cross, CARE, Mercy Corps, Oxfam GB, and Save the Children/UK and the national NGO consortium, CRDA;and representatives from the European Union Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), United Kingdom Department of International Development (DfID) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID), will continue working with the Government on all aspects of humanitarian response.
Meanwhile, as part of implementing the new Disaster Risk Management (DRM) approach, a Strategic Programme and Investment Framework encompassing key strategic DRM programme components is being developed by DRMFSS in collaboration with sectoral line ministries and partners. The framework provides a platform for the implementation of DRM in the country that is aimed to contribute much for the nationally envisioned sustainable development.
You may download the Humanitarian Requirements document – here [PDF – 1.02 MB]; State Minister Mitiku Kassa’s speech at the launch of the document – here [PDF – 680.2 KB].
Check the Hunger Archive for related posts, inc. Agricultural and inflation data.
Thank you Daniel for your comrehensive information on the current relief situation.
We, Ethiopians, need to work hard to minimize the suffering of our people in a situation like this.
There must be other option than doing the same routine of 40 years ago. We do have the ability!
Regards