Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Situation report: Drought in Ethiopia - 23 May 2008

WFP faces an immediate pipeline break of over 38,000 MT of corn-soya blend (CSB) for both relief and targeted supplementary feeding programmes due to lack of resources.

UNICEF estimates that 176,000 children are in need of urgent therapeutic care for severe malnutrition. Countrywide, 6 million children under the age of five require immediate preventative health and nutrition interventions to prevent a further surge in malnutrition rates.

UNICEF reports 15,000 children with SAM in Oromiya and Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR) are currently receiving Theaputic Feeding Program support. The rate of new admissions remains high. Emerging areas of potential crisis are still being reported. In particular woredas of concern that emerged over the past week are Guro Gutu and Kersa Woredas, East Hararghe Zone, Kedida Gamille woreda in Kambatta Tenbaro Zone SNNPR.

UNICEF estimates that US$50 million is required for life-saving health, nutrition, water and sanitation interventions. UNICEF requires US$20 million for emergency nutrition and US$30 million is required to finance measles vaccination campaign, emergency water trucking and sanitation, control of diarrheal diseases and outreach health/nutrition interventions. To date, only US$6 million has been received.

UNICEF requires 2,000 MT of Plumpy’nut for emergency nutrition interventions for the coming three-to-four months.

The Humanitarian Response Fund has approved a grant of US$5.2 million to UNICEF for purchase and air-freight cost of 600 MT of Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), 37 MT of F-75 and drugs to the value of US$180,000. In total, the Humanitarian Response Fund has committed US$ 13 million for the drought emergency response.

UN finalizing joint response plan to the drought crisis.

United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator issued a statement urging an immediate, collaborative response to the deteriorating humanitarian situation.

Press Contacts

Fidele Sarasso
Humanitarian Coordinator
fidele.sarassoro@undp.org
Tel.: 251-11-5444483

Vincent Lelei
Head of Office, OCHA
lelei@un.org
Tel.: 251-11-5444248

Gregory Beals
Senior Information Officer, OCHA
beals@un.org
Tel.: 251-11-5444162

Stephanie Bunker
Spokesperson and Public Information Officer
Bunker@un.org
Tel: 1-917-367-5126

Elizbeth Byrs
Spokesperson and Public Information Officer
Byrs@un.org
Tel: 41-229-172-653

Full_Report (pdf* format - 153.3 Kbytes)

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