Ethiopia

This year’s emergency situation is associated to the unfavourable weather situation in the country as well as the insecurity and reduced access in the Somali Region. The impact of the drought in Ethiopia has so far been most severe in pastoral areas of Somali as well as in the Oromia and SNNPR regions following two consecutive poor rain seasons. There are also increasing concerns in Amhara and Tigray Regions. The increasing drought will leave more than 2.2 million Ethiopians struggling to survive without sufficient food, health, nutrition and care and extremely high levels of severe malnutrition are now reported in the very short term. The number requiring humanitarian assistance is likely to increase further. Some rains have been reported but weather forecasts indicate that these are unlikely to replenish water sources and pasture and carry pastoralists through to the next rains in October 2008. Over 2 million are estimated to be in need of immediate water, hygiene and sanitation assistance. Moreover, the arrival of rains in some areas is likely to signal the beginning of outbreaks of acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) and other types of diarrhoeal diseases as already witnessed in Amhara. This is linked to the very poor sanitation and hygiene status in many parts of the country, limited access to safe water, and concentrations of displaced people. The vulnerability of the population to diarrheal diseases is greatly increased by their poor nutritional status; children are especially at risk. UNICEF and its partners are responding to the urgent needs of children and women in the drought-affected areas, in the sectors of health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, education and child protection.
Ethiopia Humanitarian Action Update 13 May 2008 [pdf]

In the last few months, the “El Nino” phenomenon, blamed for severe flooding that affected much of the Horn in late 2006, has extended its impact across Southern Africa. Resultant flooding has coincided with the cyclone season (December-April) in which, thus far, Madagascar and Mozambique have been seriously affected while riverine communities in Zambia have experienced localized displacement. Significant damage to infrastructure has been assessed, especially in Mozambique including schools, health facilities, roads and food stores. Both the cyclone and rainy seasons are projected to extend into April, entailing further possible hardship for children and families in South-Eastern Africa.
An almost unprecedented number of countries in the region are now also reporting acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) or cholera cases, several of which have been in sustained crisis for many months. UNICEF offices in South-Eastern Africa are now responding to meet the acute humanitarian needs that both exacerbate chronic vulnerabilities and complicate efforts towards the broader progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
East and Southern Africa Donor Update 30 Mar 2007 [pdf]

The severe floods that hit seven out of Ethiopia's 11 regions since October 2006 destroyed farm land, forced tens of thousands to leave their swamped villages and exposed up to 235,800 under-fives to the risks of homelessness, water-borne disease and malnutrition. During the year, already weakened children had to face the appearance and spread of a range of conditions, including acute watery diarrhea, menengitis, measles and polio.
Ethiopia donor update 22 December 2006