Red Cross revises aid to Ethiopia -Says food security in Ethiopia remains of high concern
By Simegnish Yekoye
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has announced that it has revised its emergency appeal to 7.9 million USD (5 million Euros) to support the severely affected drought area in Ethiopia.
The money is required to support the Ethiopian Red Cross society that is assisting more than 76,000 people in Southern part of Ethiopia, Wolaiyta region.
“Over the past two months the situation has worsened and living conditions have deteriorated,” says Lorenzo Violante, IFRC’s drought operations manager in Addis Ababa.
“People have exhausted all their resources and are unable to feed themselves. We must step up our responses,” he adds.
The weekly UN office for coordination of humanitarian affairs report shows food security in Ethiopia remains an issue of high concern as shortages of water and pasture continue to affect crop and livestock production.
“Belg producing parts of the country currently face failed rainfall and high food prices. Although interventions appear to be working in some areas, the total number of children requiring emergency treatment for severe Acute Malnutrition is still rising,” the report says.
Another report published this week by the Central Statistical Agency also says Ethiopia’s grain harvest from last year’s long rainy season was 334,000 tons smaller than forecast.
The country has produced 16.1 million metric tons of grain during last year’s September to November harvest, compared with the 16.5 million tons forecast by the agency in January.
The operation of the Red Cross was launched in May to help some 40,000 people in Damot Pulasa, but has now been extended to respond to the needs of an additional 36,000 villagers in neighboring Damot Gale.
The IFRC statement says, over the next six months, it will provide emergency food and relief assistance, early recovery activities including improvement of access to safe water, and hygiene promotion.
“Food and seed distributions are underway in the two regions but more help is needed,” says the statement “the revised appeal will then allow the procurement and distribution of 10,000 sheep as well as agricultural tools to prevent further damage to people’s livelihoods.”
Ethiopia was hit with severe floods last year which destroyed most of the food crops and this year drought was worsened the situation. Food prices have also raised by 330 percent after a year of adverse climatic events.