BY GIRMACHEW GASHAW
At this very moment the impact of climate change has become an imminent threat for 24 million people living in drought affected southern and eastern Ethiopia after five consecutive failed rainy seasons since late 2020. The March – May 2023 rainy season is also projected to underperform in some of these areas. This succession of failed rainy seasons is a phenomenon not seen or heard of in recorded history with unprecedented consequences.
The recent bouts of climate shocks have hit hard already vulnerable communities – mostly pastoralists and agro-pastoralists – that have not had the time to recover from previous shocks. Over the last few years, many of these communities have experienced multiple other shocks, including droughts, conflict (notably in Afar, southern Oromia, SNNP and Somali regions) and desert locust infestations further depleting livelihoods.
The drought continues to affect essential livelihood with a staggering level of livestock deaths. Over 6.85 million livestock are estimated to have died since late 2021 mostly in Oromia (4.64 million), Somali (2.2 million), and South Omo Zone (5,600). This is an increase from 4.5 million livestock deaths report few months earlier, according to OCHA.
These areas have seen dramatic increases in food insecurity and malnutrition as well as deteriorating health indices. In 2022, the number of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) cases had increased by an average of 21 per cent in Afar, Oromia, Somali and SNNP, compared to 2021. The malnutrition level in some areas was significantly higher in 2022, surpassing by far the emergency thresholds.
Health risks related to complications from malnutrition and disease outbreaks have also multiplied at a time when access to health services has decreased. According to the Ethiopian Public Health Institute, at least 1,721 cholera cases and 39 associated deaths were reported across 176 kebeles in 12 woredas of Oromia and 3 woredas in Somali between 9 September 2022 (when the first case was confirmed) and 9 March 2023, the report by OCHA stated.
Hundreds of thousands of people are flocking to better-off areas in search of water, pasture, and assistance, further compounding the already high number of protracted IDPs living in these areas. More than half a million new drought related displacements were registered since January 2022.
Women and girls are disproportionately affected. Gender-based violence (GBV) has increased; school drop-out is on the rise, especially amongst girls; similar to protection risks such as early and forced marriage, child labour and family separation cases.
For example, in Somali Region, communities have been adopting negative coping mechanisms, including child marriage, which had increased by 131 per cent in the first half of 2022 when compared to the same time in 2021.
The humanitarian context in drought-affected areas is quickly changing, and the gravity of the situation today has already surpassed the ongoing responses. The Governments of Ethiopia and humanitarian partners have taken a wide range of interventions to mitigate the worst effect.
However, the dearth of funding in 2022 and the associated dearth of partners in some of the worst affected zones meant that five out of nine clusters have assisted only 50 or less per cent of the people targeted.
Humanitarian partners continue to make difficult decisions to make the most of the available resources by prioritizing the most critical areas requiring the most urgent humanitarian response, and by also intervening in an integrated manner. Hence why 13 million people are targeted in 2023 (which is half of the people in need) compared to 17 million targeted in 2021, OCHA says.
In 2023, US$2.05 billion is required to assist 13 million people targeted for multi-sector life-saving assistance, including 11 million extremely food-insecure people. Around 5 million additional people are at risk of losing their emaciated livestock, which will further erode their livelihood and drive them deeper into food insecurity. The WaSH situation is also of particular concern, with inadequate water trucking and growing pressure on remaining water sources.
The most adverse impact of WaSH shortage is seen on health facilities as well as on school feeding programs. While scaling up lifesaving interventions, resilience building support to chronically drought-affected communities is a key. It takes between 2 to 7 years to achieve full a herd recovery.
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian
The Ethiopian March 31/2023
Source: – The Ethiopian Herald