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Ethiopia + 2 more

UNICEF Ethiopia Humanitarian Situation Report #6 – Reporting Period January-June 2018

Attachments

Highlights

▪ The current number of internally displaced people in Ethiopia has increased to 2.4 million from 1.6 million at the beginning of the year. Seasonal flooding from July to September is expected to affect 2.5 million people.

▪ With UNICEF support, more than 111,000 children under five have received treatment for severe acute malnutrition since January.

▪ UNICEF-supported Mobile Health and Nutrition Teams have provided medical consultations to 231,529 people, including 89,798 under five children.

▪ UNICEF has provided access to safe water to 1.9 million people.

▪ The Humanitarian and Disaster Resilience Plan (HDRP) for Ethiopia, costed at US$1.6 billion, will be revised in August with humanitarian asks expected to increase.

▪ Access to affected communities either due to security concerns or lack of infrastructure have been significant challenges to the provision of humanitarian assistance.

Situation Overview and Humanitarian Needs

Conflict-induced internal displacement has led to significant humanitarian needs in the first half of this year. At the start of the year, there were 1.6 million people displaced by conflict and drought, including just over one million conflict IDPs along the Oromia/Somali regional borders. However, renewed conflict along the border of the Oromia and the Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples (SNNP) regions has increased the number of IDPs to 2.4 million. Conflict in Moyale in March led to the displacement of over 10,000 people across the border into Kenya. While some have returned to their places of origin, community tensions in Moyale remain high.

The HDRP was launched in March with the expectation that Ethiopia would enter its fourth consecutive year of protracted drought. However, the country has been receiving above average rainfall in most of the country which has led to unexpected flooding and landslides in several regions (SNNP, Somali) and caused extensive damage to homes, livelihoods and infrastructure. In fact, Ethiopia received heavy winds and rain from a first - tropical storm Sagar in May. The flooding is expected to continue through September as the National Meteorological Agency (NMA) has predicted an extended and above normal (Kiremt) season affecting all regions, except Southern Somali region. The NMA currently estimates that 2.5 million people are at risk of being affected, of which 637,000 are likely to be displaced. A national flood contingency planning exercise is underway.

While reported rates of Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD) have fallen short of last years’ caseload, there have been several reported outbreaks, with an outbreak in Afar yet to be contained. The number of reported cases in Afar has reached 799.

Five woredas have been affected and three are currently reporting active cases. As the Awash river is the source of infection, 16 woredas connected to the Awash river plain are considered high risk. Active AWD outbreaks have also been reported in Tigray and Somali regions.

Following the reported Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia has increased its preparedness levels and is screening travelers at ports of entry. An isolation center has been activated at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa and a treatment unit established at Bole Health Center. A National Task Force led by the Minister of Health is currently reviewing preparedness and response plans. UNICEF Ethiopia has updated its Ebola Contingency Plan.

As of end May, 920,262 refugees were residing in Ethiopia – 48.2 per cent from South Sudan, 27.8 per cent from Somalia, 18.4 per cent from Eritrea, and 4.8 per cent from Sudan. In the first five months of this year, 29, 211 refugees arrived in Ethiopia.