Relief Bulletin: Weekly Humanitarian Highlights in Ethiopia 31 Oct 2003

MR. MARTTI AHTISAARI, SPECIAL ENVOY OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL TO VISIT ETHIOPIA
Mr. Martti Ahtisaari, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Humanitarian Crisis in the Horn of Africa, will travel to Ethiopia from 5 to 9 November 2003 accompanied by a team of four. During his stay in Ethiopia, Mr. Ahtisaari will meet with high-level government officials, donors, NGOs and the UN Country Team. On Saturday 8 November a field trip is planned, most likely to the eastern part of the country.

DEYR RAINS ARE LATE NEARLY BY ONE MONTH

The Regional Government/Save the Children UK Early Warning Program in Somali Region has issued a food security flash alert that the deyr rains, usually received in seven of the nine zones of Somali Region starting in early October, are nearly one month late. Although the deyr rains, which last until December, are normally less intense and less well distributed, compared to the gu rains (March-May), they are very important as they occur just before the long dry jilaal season. In this largely pastoral region, one rain failure or a significant delay in one rainy season can easily spark a drought situation. Critical water conditions and abnormal migration of livestock are reported in several zones. In Warder Zone the situation is worsened by a livestock influx from Somaliland, Somalia and other zones in the region, whose nature and proportions have not been seen in recent memory. The total rural population of Somali Region is approximately 3.7 million, of which 2.6 million are in zones which usually receive deyr rains. Approximately one million people in the region are currently receiving relief assistance (570,000 of whom are in the seven southern zones)

HIV/AIDS IN EMERGENCY OPERATIONS

Emergency HIV/AIDS activities are being implemented by UNICEF in selected areas of Somali, Amhara and SNNP regions. In SNNPR alone, over 105,000 food beneficiaries were successfully reached within three months through community dialogue sessions. Some 40 facilitators, 241 anti-AIDS club members and 60 DPPC workers received training on HIV/AIDS as well as skills to prevent sexual and gender-based violence. In Somali region, 20 food distribution committee members and 16 woreda facilitators were trained to provide HIV/AIDS education. Around 1,800 food beneficiaries have received this education at four food distribution sites. Four anti-AIDS clubs were also established in drought-affected woredas to implement HIV/AIDS prevention activities. Emergency HIV/AIDS activities are conducted in close partnership with the regional HIV/AIDS prevention and control offices.

NEW DUTCH DONATION FOR MALARIA PREVENTION

The Government of the Netherlands donated US$ 1 million to UNICEF for malaria prevention activities in Ethiopia. The donation comes in the wake of a special alert issued by the UN country team in Ethiopia indicating that an estimated 15 million Ethiopians are threatened by the deadly disease over the next few months. US$ 5.8 million are urgently required to attempt to avert a major malaria epidemic. The Dutch donation will cover operational costs for malaria epidemic investigation and mass treatment, social mobilization and health education about malaria, supervision of malaria epidemic response activities, training of health workers and operational costs for indoor residual spraying. This donation follows up on previous donations made during 2003 by the Government of the Netherlands of over US$ 1.5 million for strengthening routine EPI activities in Ethiopia and more than US$900,000 in response to the emergency appeal.

FAO ORGANIZES A TWO-DAY WORKSHOP ON SEED SECURITY

A two day national workshop on seed security was organized by FAO in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) and National Agricultural Inputs Agency (NAIA) on 28 and 29 at the Ghion Hotel. About forty experts and officials from the public and private sector, NGOs, UN agencies and donors attended the Workshop. The agenda was: (i) to develop strategy to improve the capacity of drought or other disaster prone areas to be better prepare to minimize the effect of disaster; (ii) to determine mechanisms of collaboration for a continuing partnership among federal, regional government and institutions, public, and private involved in the maintenance, restoration and development of farmer seed systems, plant genetic resources and seed security. Fourteen presentations were made by different stakeholders on their experience in seed relief and rehabilitation. Boosting relief to recovery and rehabilitation was highlighted as an important smooth strategy for sustainability. During the workshop, recommendations and proposal of action plan were formulated in three major areas: (i) seed needs assessment, (ii) information management and (iii) seed stock, seed multiplication and delivery.