GOAL, Ireland NGO
Spring 2008
Background to GOAL’s response to current Ethiopia food crisis
Ethiopia remains one of the poorest countries in the world with around 77% of the population subsisting on less than US$2 per day. The country ranks 170 out of 177 countries on the Human Development Index (UNDP HDI 2006) and life expectancy is estimated at 47.7 (HDI 2006). The current conditions in Ethiopia, recurring droughts, poor access to health services, environmental degradation, insecurity related to conflict, and persistent price hikes for staple foods ensures that already vulnerable communities will have to face future shocks which may require nutrition interventions in the form of general food aid or specialised targeted feeding programmes. Malnutrition weakens children’s ability to resist attacks of infectious diseases - it has been estimated that malnutrition is a factor in 50% of all episodes of under 5 mortality . More than 50% of the population of Ethiopia is chronically malnourished and only half have access to safe drinking water.
GOAL’s Rapid Response programme began in 2005 and the programmes aim is to respond promptly to emergencies as they arise in GOAL’s areas of operation. GOAL’s sectors of response are health, nutrition and emergency water provision.
Problem Statement
Ethiopia is constantly vulnerable to nutritional and health crises, and in even in years of good harvests, such as 2006/2007 and 2007/2008, many millions still require food assistance, and tens of millions are vulnerable to the effects of drinking unpotable water and regular health epidemics such as cholera and malaria.
In Borena zone, southern Ethiopia, the cumulative effects of recurrent droughts combined with the failure of rains in 2007 have stretched coping mechanisms of pastoralist communities resulting in concerning food security situation. Most grazing lands have been depleted and the physical condition of livestock has deteriorated. There are numerous reports of animal deaths including milking cows, raising child nutrition concerns. Lack of essential drugs and medical supplies in the health facilities are among the major identified gaps. Water supply, animal feed and health interventions are priorities that require immediate intervention. In GOAL’s operational areas in Borena schools have closed due to water shortages. Water points for both livestock and cattle are drying up and pasture is unavailable. This is a community where cattle represent most, if not all of family and community assets. Cattle are already beginning to die.
GOAL works in three areas in Sidama, where the rains were due in February, but to date there has been zero rainfall and there is no clear timeline as to when the next rainfall will arrive. The government has supplied 3 water tankers but 2 are not working due to mechanical problems. There are 100’s of people queuing for up to 18 hours per day for water tankered in by the government vehicles.
Thus GOAL’s emphasis is now on:
Responding to the severe drought affecting southern Ethiopia through emergency water interventions.
Responding to the associated nutrition problem through a CTC capacity building intervention in partnership with the Ministry of Health.
Responding to other emergency health problems which may arise through the distribution of medical supplies and NFIs.
GOAL’s Nutritional response
Since March 2005, GOAL has developed significant skills in implementing Community Based Therapeutic Care (CTC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. From March 2005 to date, GOAL has conducted 25 nutrition surveys and numerous nutrition assessments, one coverage survey of CTC activities, nineteen rapid assessments and participated in eight multi-agency assessments in nearly every region of Ethiopia.
Supplementary Feeding Programme (SFP)
Bi-weekly dry take home ration of CSB, health education and basic medical care to moderately malnourished children without complications.
Outpatient Therapeutic Programme (OTP)
Home based treatment and rehabilitation with specially formulated Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) provided on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, medical treatment using simplified medical protocols, and regular follow up for children with severe acute malnutrition without complications. OTP is implemented through a large number of decentralised points using existing health infrastructure.
Stabilisation Centres (SC)
The SC is only for severely malnourished children with medical complications who are not well enough to be treated at home. The children will normally be treated as inpatients until their condition is stable enough for them to be treated at home (usually in 5-10 days).They then continue their treatment at home with support from the OTP.
Emergency water and sanitation response
Water tankering, although expensive and obviously unsustainable in the mid to long term is currently the only option available to bring emergency water supplies to communities whose normal water supply sources have dried up. GOAL will hire water tankers to deliver water to these drought devastated communities.As a longer term, more sustainable intervention to provide potable water supplies to affected communities GOAL will, in collaboration with the Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR), repair damaged water systems in the affected areas.
Emergency health response
– purchase and distribution of essential medications to deal with current and expected disease outbreaks – diarrheal diseases, malaria, acute watery diarrhoea/cholera, measles, etc.
Programme Beneficiaries
The programme is targeted towards vulnerable rural populations affected by drought health and nutrition crises in Amhara, Oromia, SNNPR and other regions of Ethiopia. Approximately 60,000 people will benefit from the WatSan activities and 285,000 for emergency health and nutrition interventions. Nutrition and health activities will particularly focus on pregnant and lactating women, and children under five.
Timeframe for GOALs intervention
This is a nine month intervention which will run throughout 2008.
