The current year’s drought in Ethiopia has affected some of ChildFund’s operational areas, particularly Siraro district. The cumulative effects of the failure of Belg (short season) rains and the late onset and erratic nature of Meher (main season) rains in Siraro area and the consecutive years failure of coffee production have resulted in substantial reduction of crops in the field, decrease in the availability of water and pasture and the loss of livestock in the districts. The assessment results of February/March in Siraro alone have revealed that 72,428 people including children and mothers have been affected by food shortages.
The causes of food insecurity are multi faceted and deep rooted. Failure of coffee (the main cash crop and source of income of the community) and other crops such as Enset (also known as false banana) have eroded the capacity of many families to tolerate the soaring price of food items. Population growth and subsequent reduction in farm sizes are other underlying causes for the current problem.
In response to the humanitarian situation the government and other stakeholders including UNICEF and ChildFund have been carrying out various interventions over the past year. ChildFund has been responding to the drought since August 2011, and is currently supporting over 18,000 drought affected people through provision of supplementary and general food support .
Summary of Implementation Progress
Siraro
A total of 16,500 target populations (7,804 Children, 5,166 youths, 371 pregnant women, 896 lactating mothers and 2,263 other female and male adults) have been reached with the support.
Picture 1: Women group while explaining how the emergency response activities are going on and the improvements with their children
Field observations show that harvesting of maize has started though it is not fully ready to take to market to meet the communities’ cash needs. The harvest requires some more weeks to be fully ready.
Picture 2:Â FAMIX distribution (Siraro-Ropi distribution centre)
Balaya
Balaya operational area is located at 365 Km south of Addis Ababa. ChildFund’s implementing partner Balaya Child and Family Development Association (CFDA) is operating in this area, covering 6 kebeles (villages) in two districts. These areas, particularly five of the operational kebeles have been provided with a humanitarian intervention through supplementary food and edible oil support.
ChildFund Ethiopia and Balaya CFDA have increased the provision of supplementary food to malnourished children and mothers under existing programmes. This increase was due to the lack of a timely response and recognition of the local government for general food support despite reports for high humanitarian situation.
20.42 metric tons of high energy food (Famix) and 24.50 metric tons of edible oil was purchased and distributed to 901 children and 120 mothers.
Picture 3: Beneficiaries with their children assisted through emergency response (Bele Bukisa & Tumata Cherecha kebeles Balaya)
Buee
The livelihood of the Buee area communities’ is dependent on rain- fed farming. Accordingly, this area has suffered food shortages due to the failure of rains, with over 13,000 people affected. In response, ChildFund, their local partner and the local government purchased and distributed 1,096 litres of edible oil and 10.96 metric tonnes of supplementary food to the targeted children and mothers through a scale up programme.
