Favorable Weather Improves Food Security Situations

Addis Ababa , December 24, 2005 (Ethiopian Reporter) – Population in pastoral areas likely suffers from shocks

In its latest donor update, UNICEF announced this week that the overall food security situation had improved in recent months due to favorable weather conditions, and the improved implementation of food and cash transfers under the productive safety nets programme and relief food distributions.

This improvement is due to the overall good performance of rains during the belg and the main rain seasons. However, according to World Food Programme (WFP) estimates, there are still areas of concern in 33 woredas.

UNICEF said that the increase in planted area in recent years, the above average cereal prices and other cash crop prices and the late rains during September-October had improved crop production prospects in some areas.

Meanwhile, UNICEF in November had taken part in a comprehensive contingency planning process led by the Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission (DPPC) and supported by the sectoral task forces to determine emergency needs and requirements for the 2006 humanitarian appeal.

The annual appeal is the primary mechanism for raising funds to support aid structures in responding to emergencies. However, in line with the initiative taken by the government to address the chronic food insecurity in a more predictable manner through the productive safety net programme, the non-food requirements in health, nutrition and water in particular should also be developed in such a way that the recurrent predictable needs be planned and funded on multi-year basis, according to UNICEF.

Although the number of people in need of assistance in 2006 could be the lowest in recent years, a large segment of the rural population, especially in pastoral areas, will most likely suffer from shocks as their livelihood security is still very fragile and needs to be rebuilt, it said. It is anticipated that these areas could face high levels of malnutrition, disease outbreaks, water shortages, and sanitation problems due to the cumulative shocks they have faced in the past years.

The consolidation of the safety net programme in respect of the 4.8 million people for whom food and cash was transferred in the second part of 2006 will require close monitoring and support, as further implementation problems in the programme would risk aggravating the already precarious situation in 2006. The safety net related strategy in the pastoral areas, as well as the additional number of beneficiaries who will be added to the existing programme, are two elements that still need clarification for 2006, it was learnt.

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