Ethiopian government requests emergency assistance for 1.3 million

The Government of Ethiopia’s (GoE) 2007 Humanitarian Appeal, issued February 12, concludes that 1.3 million people will require emergency food assistance during 2007. Considering 2006 carryover stock and pledges, the net emergency food requirement for Ethiopia this year is estimated at 60,580 metric tons. Non-food requirements crucial to recovery in agriculture, livestock, health, nutrition, water, sanitation, flood rehabilitation/recovery and capacity strengthening are estimated at $129 million. According to results from the Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Agency’s (DPPA) 2006 multi-agency assessment, food and non-food humanitarian requirements for 2007 are estimated at $179 million (table 1). Approximately 71 percent of emergency requirements will be directed to the predominantly pastoral lowland areas of Somali Region. Another 17 percent will go to the lowlands of the Oromiya Region. Several years of consecutive drought and incomplete recovery from livelihood shocks that include escalating prices and livestock import bans have weakened the resilience of rural Ethiopian households and left them dependent on outside assistance to meet their basic needs.

According to the GoE’s Food Security Bureau, 7.3 million chronically food insecure people will also need cash or food assistance through the Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) this year. Given the current food security situation, the GoE estimates that a significant upward revision of emergency needs this year is unlikely unless the forthcoming belg/gu season (late February to May) in belg-dependent and pastoral areas fails.

Favorable overall food security prospects for 2007 led the GoE to initiate a new strategy for emergency response and resource allocation this year. The DPPA’s 2006 assessment results will serve as broad national estimates of emergency food aid needs for contingency planning and resource mobilization. However, specific food aid allocations will be determined and dispatched only after case-specific multi-agency assessments systematically identify actual needs. As part of the new approach, those PSNP woredas with emergency beneficiaries will use their 20 percent contingency to accommodate emergency needs, raising the total number of PSNP beneficiaries to more than 8 million people. This approach will require a revision of the overall emergency needs later in the year if further shocks arise.

Adaptation of the PSNP and ad-hoc emergency programming will require a significant amount of coordination to ensure adequate provision of resources and avoid gaps in coverage. Given pastoral populations’ high levels of food insecurity, humanitarian agencies’ continued vigilance is required. In order to prevent disruptions in humanitarian assistance, especially as southern pastoral areas are at the peak of their hunger season (late December to March) timely deliveries of food aid and non-food assistance is essential. Detailed and timely food security information, including nutritional surveys and surveillance is also required to support future response planning.