HIGHLIGHTS
GoE and humanitarian partners agree to revise the 2016 HRD, considering the reported increase in humanitarian needs
USAID/OFDA partner CRS delivers seeds assistance to 360,000 people
USAID commits an additional $12 million to support the drought response
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
Delayed and incomplete food assistance distributions, as well as limited access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, have increased communicable disease risks in drought-affected areas, according to the UN. In response, the Government of Ethiopia (GoE)—with support from relief partners—plans to vaccinate 25 million children against measles in more than 500 drought-affected woredas, or districts.
Approximately 5.8 million people in Ethiopia lack access to WASH services, according to the GoE. As of early March, relief organizations had provided water-trucking services to approximately 1.1 million people, with plans to reach up to 3 million people with watertrucking services in 2016.
To provide critical seed support for the meher planting season, USAID/OFDA provided nearly $4 million to Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to deliver emergency seed interventions for up to 360,000 drought-affected people in Amhara, Oromiya, and Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples (SNNP) regions.