Highlights:
Ethiopia is facing its worst drought in decades, with over 10.2 million people requiring food aid in 2016. An estimated 435,000 children are in need of treatment for severe acute malnutrition (SAM), and more than 1.7 million children, pregnant and lactating women with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) will require supplementary feeding.
As of October 2015, UNICEF has supported the treatment of 291,214 under-five children suffering severe acute malnutrition (SAM) with a cure rate of 88 per cent.
Over 4.9 million children under-five were vaccinated against measles during a national vaccination campaign in October-November 2015. UNICEF procured 5,894,100 doses of measles vaccine to support the campaign.
UNICEF, Health, WASH and C4D jointly responded to an acute watery diarrhoea outbreak in Moyale woreda of Oromia and Somali regions. The number of reported cases has drastically decreased and the spread of the outbreak contained. Since first of January 2016, no new cases have been reported.
SITUATION IN NUMBERS
10.2 million people, including 6 million children, will require relief food assistance in 2016.
435,000 children will require treatment for acute severe malnutrition in 2016.
730,358 total refugees in Ethiopia (UNHCR, November 2015).
UNICEF will require US$106 million for its humanitarian work in 2016.
1. Situation Overview and Humanitarian Needs
Ethiopia is currently facing its worst drought in decades. In 2015, the country experienced two poor growing seasons. Failed Belg rains (February to May) and poor Kiremt rains (June to September) that supply 80 per cent of the agricultural yield, have devastated livelihoods and greatly increased malnutrition rates in Amhara, Afar, Tigray, Oromia, Somali, and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples (SNNP) regions. The current crisis is linked to the El Nino that has negatively affected rainfall patterns. The strongest ever-recorded El Nino event is expected to continue to have a severe impact, through intensifying droughts in some areas, while increasing flooding in others.
On 11 December 2015, the Government of Ethiopia launched the Humanitarian Requirements Document (HRD) for 2016 with a projection of 10.2 million people, including 6 million children, in need of emergency food assistance during the year. A key priority in the HRD are 435,000 children under five with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and 1.7 million children, pregnant and lactating women with Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) requiring specialized nutritional support. The HRD is asking for US$1.4 billion, of which US$1.1 billion is required for emergency food assistance. The document also indicates that an estimated 5.8 million people will need water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in 2016 and 1.3 million children will need assistance to be able to continue their education. For the first time, the HRD includes child protection needs and estimates that 2.3 million people (including 1 million children) will require protection assistance in 2016. In particular, children will need special protection assistance against child labour, sexual and gender based violence, child marriage and family separation.
The Government continues to lead the drought response through the National Disaster Risk Management Coordination Commission (NDRMCC1) led by the Deputy Prime Minister. In 2015, the Government allocated more than US$200 million from its own resources to respond to the emergency. The Government has further committed US$97 million from its own resources for food aid in 2016.