Informing humanitarians worldwide 24/7 — a service provided by UN OCHA

Ethiopia

Ethiopia - Situation Report, 6 Dec 2022

Attachments

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Between 15 and 30 November 20 partners delivered 19,987MT of food and 3,020MT of non-food supplies to Tigray; the Government of Ethiopia delivered 13,686MT of food.

  • Humanitarian flights for staff have also resumed for Mekelle airport and started for Shire airport. Much-needed medical supplies are also being airlifted.

  • Support in areas of return in Amhara and Afar limited, Government prioritizing recovery and rehabilitation.
    Hostilities in the Wollegas continue to uproot civilians; new displacement figures have yet to be confirmed but expected to cause a drastic increase to the existing IDP caseload.

  • Most clusters have only reached less than 50 per cent of the people targeted nationwide due to insufficient funding and access challenges.

Situation Overview

More than 20 million men, women and children continue to depend on humanitarian assistance across the country. Millions have seen their source of livelihood disrupted when they were uprooted from their homes fleeing hostilities or drought. Parents have seen their children suffer from malnutrition for lack of adequate food and water and associated diseases due to weakened immunity. Others could no longer send their children to school due to insecurity, migration or destroyed income source. Many have fallen ill from disease outbreaks such as cholera, which are the byproducts of shortage of clean water. Women and children also continue to face increased protection risks in conflict areas as well as in drought-affected areas when they make treacherous long journeys in search of water.

Halfway through the year, the number of people targeted for lifesaving multi-sectoral assistance across Ethiopia had already increased by 11 per cent and needs in 2023 are expected to remain high. According to the Global Humanitarian Overview for 2023 that was officially launched on 1 December 2022, more than 26 million people in Ethiopia are estimated to require assistance in the coming year and US$3.5 billion is required to meet all the needs.

In northern Ethiopia, the space for humanitarian operations continues to gradually improve following the signing of the Peace Agreement. Since inland access to **Tigray **resumed via several corridors including Gondar-Humera-May Tsebri, Kombolcha-Mekelle and Semera-Mekelle on 15 November and as of 30 November, at least 20 partners delivered 19,987MT of food and 3,020MT of non-food supplies to Tigray. This includes at least 466 MT of health supplies sent by road. Similarly, the Government of Ethiopia conducted one-off food distributions to various locations in Central, Northwestern and Southern zones following the improved security situation. Distribution reports indicate that between 30 October and 23 November, 331,840 people were assisted in Shire, Sheraro, Adi Daero, Adi Hageray, Adi Nebried, Selekleka and Endabaguna towns of Northwestern Zone; 141,720 people were assisted in Axum, Central Zone; and 391,373 people were assisted in Chercher, Raya Alamata woredas as well as Alamata and Korem towns, Southern Zone. Overall, as of end November, the Government delivered 13,686MT of food to the vulnerable people in Northern Ethiopia.

Humanitarian flights for staff have also resumed for Mekelle airport and started for Shire airport. In addition to carrying humanitarian staff, much-needed medical supplies have started to be airlifted in November. In the past month, approximately 7MT of health items were airlifted from Addis Ababa to Shire on behalf of two partners.

Similarly, good progress is being made in scaling up response to conflict affected Afar and Amhara regions to reach all displaced and returnee population in these areas. Food and supplementary feeding supplies for moderately malnourished people have started to be delivered to newly accessible areas. Warehouse capacity in Gondar has also been doubled to accommodate the increased flow of humanitarian supplies. In addition to assistance to displaced population, Government and partners are also working to assist the increasing number of returnee population. According to a joint assessment concluded in early November, some 910,826 returnees and affected population in Alamata, Bala, Kobo, Korem, Raya Bala, Raya Kobo and Ofla need immediate humanitarian and recovery assistance. Despite the vast need, there are minimal to no means to support livelihoods in return areas due to stretched partners’ capacity. Basic infrastructure is damaged, and basic services remain largely unavailable.

On 2 December, the President of the Amhara Region officially launched a Post-Conflict Recovery and Rehabilitation Project in Werke Kebele of Raya Kobo Woreda, North Wollo Zone, in the presence of relevant Government officials, community elders and local population, many of whom returnees. During the first phase of the project, the regional Government aims to build 3,000 houses, 21 schools, 10 health centers and one hospital, 31 clean water schemes, three livestock markets, 10 irrigation canals, and 17 youth development centers. Some 12 billion birr is allocated for the project, but much more is needed.

An estimated 1,800 displaced Afaris living with host communities in and around Semera will also be assisted to return to their respective areas of origin in Abala, Berhale and Kunneba of Afar Region. Basic services and assistance in return areas are significantly inadequate.

After all necessary preparations were completed to return 690 vulnerable people from Agatina site back to Tigray Region, the convoy movement started on 23 November. Separately, looking at the food security and nutrition situation in Afar, the Ethiopia Nutrition Coordination Unit (ENCU) reported that admissions rate of severely malnourished children (SAM) in September (latest data available) reached its highest level in the last six months with 3,573 SAM admission. This is a 30 per cent increase compared to admissions in August 2022 and a 40 per cent increase compared to the same time last year. Similarly, a nutrition assessment conducted in November revealed worrying malnutrition rates in Kiblati Rasu (Zone 2) with a 42 per cent proxy GAM rate and Fanti Rasu (Zone 4) with a 30.1 per cent proxy GAM rate due to conflict and drought impact. Overall, more than 23,000 SAM cases were admitted this year, with an average monthly admission of 2,600 SAM cases. This trend is expected to continue into early 2023.

Oromia Region is also burdened with multiple crises continuously driving humanitarian needs. Hostilities in the Wollegas, western Oromia continue to uproot civilians, and destroy livelihoods and basic infrastructure. New displacement figures have yet to be confirmed for lack of access, but it is expected to cause a drastic increase to the existing IDP caseload in the area. Local authorities confirm over 106,000 IDPs in West Wollega Zone and 116,000 IDPs in Horo Guduru Wollega alone. The regional Government is establishing additional IDP site to accommodate the increasing IDP influx. Needs are outpacing response efforts. For example, only 1,100 households of almost 19,000 households in need in West Wollega Zone and 9,337 households of 30,000 households in need in East Wollega Zone have so far received shelter and non-food items support. Similarly, hostilities in Guji and West Guji zones are impeding flow of assistance.

Malnutrition is also a rising concern in Oromia, particularly in the drought-affected zones. According to recent survey, of more than 563,000 children screened, 1.96 per cent were found severely malnourished and 18 per cent moderately malnourished. In Guji Zone, the findings are worrisome with a proxy GAM rate of 38 per cent, some woredas registering a proxy GAM as high as 67 per cent. Shortage of nutrition supplies and low partners’ presence in several drought-affected *woredas *remain a challenge.

The drought also continues to ravage livelihoods in Afder, Dawa, Liban, and Shabelle zones of Somali Region. The situation is particularly severe in Afder Zone where at least 230,000 livestock heads have died (125,460 due to lack of feed and 104,540 due to disease). Overall, malnutrition rate is rising. Admissions of severely malnourished (SAM) children in September (latest data available) has reached 10,743. Since January, more than 100,000 SAM cases were admitted for treatment at an average of 11,400 monthly admission. This is a 21 per cent increase compared to the same period (January-September) last year.

Similarly, malnutrition is worsening drought affected SNNP, Sidama and Southwest regions. The nutrition response covered around 70 per cent of the need as of the time of last week. Meanwhile, the summer rains have improved water and pasture availability in most parts of SNNP and Sidama and this is expected to improve livestock body condition and nutrition condition in the months ahead.

The cholera outbreak across four woredas in Bale Zone, Oromia Region and two woredas of Liban Zone, Somali Region is still not contained. More than 520 cases were reported so far across both regions, a case was reported in Guji Zone for the first time. See the latest Cholera Flash update at https://reliefweb.int/report/ethiopia/ethiopia-cholera-outbreak-flash-update-3-23-november-2022.

Meanwhile, a measles outbreak is ongoing across 20 woredas in five regions where more than 7,359 cases were reported since the beginning of the year. Other diseases such as malaria and scabies are also on the rise. By mid-year, the number of people requiring emergency health support has increased to 17 million people across the country, up from 13 million at the beginning of the year. This is the result of conflict and protracted drought and the impact of flood that have increased food insecurity, malnutrition and disrupted access to health services.

Humanitarian operators in partnership with relevant Government agencies continue to prioritize the severest need with the limited available resources. Most clusters have only reached less than 50 per cent of the people targeted due to insufficient funding and access challenges.

Disclaimer

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.