Increased funding urgently needed for Ethiopia drought

(New York/Addis Ababa, 12 June 2008): The Ethiopian government and humanitarian agencies today revised upward the country's humanitarian requirements to more than US$ 325.2 million after drought and crop failure caused the number of people in need of emergency humanitarian aid to rise from 2.2 million to 4.6 million.

The worst affected areas are in south and south-eastern Ethiopia, Oromia, Southern Nations, Nationalities and People's Region (SNNPR) and Somali Region. The original Humanitarian Requirement Document published in April of this year requested approximately $ 68 million.

The total food and non-food funding requirement has risen to $325,252,248. The net food requirement for the estimated beneficiaries stands at 391,651 metric tons to aid people from June to November, which will require $268,430,658. In addition, the Targeted Supplementary Food Programme that assists children and pregnant mothers requires approximately $ 18 million. Providing aid for health, nutrition, water, sanitation, and agriculture interventions requires $38,672,835 in order to meet emergency needs caused by drought in various parts of the country.

'We need to respond to this crisis quickly and seriously to avert loss of life and further deterioration in the health of an estimated 75,000 children who are already suffering from acute severe malnutrition and illness,' said John Holmes, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. 'The urgency of this launch cannot be overstated. Humanitarian agencies are already on the ground helping the Government of Ethiopia respond to the emergency, but limited resources are hampering the efforts of both the Government and its humanitarian partners to help those in need,' Mr. Holmes said

'I hope donors will respond immediately and generously to prevent a recurrence of previous disasters,' he added.

He said that he was confident that the government would facilitate the increased presence and work of the UN and the NGOs operating in southern Ethiopia to help drought-affected populations with the necessary urgency, and that agencies and NGOs would step up their operations accordingly.

Seasonal rains have been poor or have failed in many parts of Ethiopia with dramatics effects on harvests in crop-producing areas. Similarly, in the pastoral and agro-pastoral areas of the country, failed or poor rains have affected water and pasture availability, which has seriously impacted livestock. There have already been reports of livestock deaths in some parts of Oromia, Southern Nations, Nationalities and People's Region (SNNPR) and Somali Region due to lack of resources coupled with livestock diseases.

'The Government and humanitarian partners are working closely to address the humanitarian crisis,' said Simon Michale, Director General of Ethiopia's Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Agency. 'We are confident that, given time and adequate responses, we will jointly be able to avert a deterioration of the situation,' he added.

The supply of food in markets has also significantly declined regionally and internationally due the global food crisis. The situation has led to sharp increase in prices of cereals and other foods that has eroded purchasing capacity, especially for poor households.

For further information, please call: Stephanie Bunker, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 5126, mobile +1 917 892 1679; John Nyaga, OCHA-NY, + 1 917 367 9262; Elisabeth Byrs, OCHA-Geneva, +41 22 917 2653, mobile, +41 79 473 4570. OCHA press releases are available at http://ochaonline.un.org or www.reliefweb.int.