Highlights:
In response to the drought emergency, the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) and Regional Health Bureaus (RHBs), supported by humanitarian partners, including UNICEF, have increased the number of outpatient therapeutic feeding programme sites (OTP) by 1,211 (from 13,271 in March 2015 to 14,482 in March 2016) and the number of stabilization centers (SC) by 336 (from 1,013 in March 2015 to 1,349 in March 2016).
To support the Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) Programme, UNICEF provides ready-to-use-therapeutic-food (RUTF), first line drugs, programme establishment kits, technical support as well as support to the training of health workers.
FMoH, with the support of its partners, conducted an integrated Measles and Polio vaccination campaign during the last week of April 2016. The Measles vaccination targeted 25 million children from 6 months to 14 years, while the Polio campaign targeted 16.5 million under-five children. UNICEF facilitated the procurement of 28 million doses of Measles vaccines and provided technical support.
UNICEF recruited and deployed six emergency communication for development (C4D) technical assistants in the Scabies and acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) affected regions of Amhara, Oromia, SNNP and Somali. The emergency C4D consultants provide support to spearhead and coordinate multi-level strategic, context specific and community based C4D interventions.
In response to the attacks by South Sudanese gunmen which occurred on 15 April in the Nuer Zone in Gambella Region and resulted in the abduction of 146 children, the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs carried out a rapid assessment. UNICEF has prepared a response plan focusing on: identification, registration, family tracing, reunification, provision of alternative care/support (IDFTR) to orphan children; psychosocial counseling; and referral of identified vulnerable children to specialized services.
SITUATION IN NUMBERS
10.2 million people, including 6 million children require relief food assistance in 2016.
458,000 children require treatment for severe acute malnutrition in 2016.
5.8 million people require access to safe drinking water.
734,931 total refugees in Ethiopia (UNHCR, April 2016).
UNICEF requires US$106 million for its humanitarian work in 2016, including US$97.5 million for the drought response and US$8.50 million for the refugee response.