HORN OF AFRICA, STATE - USAID HUMANITARIAN

UNCLAS NAIROBI 002532

SIPDIS

AIDAC

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/E, AF/EPS, AF/PD, EB, PRM/AF, IO
AID FOR A/AID, AA/DCHA, WGARVELINK, LROGERS, MHESS,
DCHA/OTI
DCHA/OFDA FOR GGOTTLIEB, PMORRIS, CGOTTSCHALK,
KCHANNELL
DCHA/FFP FOR JDWORKEN, JDRUMMOND, TANDERSON, DNELSON
DCHA/PPM FOR SBRADLEY
AID/EGAT FOR AA/EGAT, JSCHAFER, JTURK
AFR/EA FOR JBORNS, SMCCLURE
ADDIS ABABA FOR TIM STUFFT
DJIBOUTI FOR JSCHULMAN
ROME FOR FODAG
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER
NSC FOR JMELINE, TSHORTLEY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID ECON PHUM PREF PREL IGAD CENTCOM KE
SO, DY, ET

SUBJECT: HORN OF AFRICA, STATE - USAID HUMANITARIAN
UPDATE NUMBER 7

REF: A)STATE 27057; B)NAIROBI 00968; C)NAIROBI 01238

D) NAIROBI 01445 E)NAIROBI 01652F) NAIROBI 01850 G)
NAIROBI 02089

This is the seventh and last bi-weekly update cable in
response to Ref A request for bi-weekly reports on the
humanitarian situation in the Horn of Africa.
Subsequently, cables on humanitarian conditions in the
region will be transmitted on a monthly basis. USAID
Missions in Kenya and Ethiopia, REDSO (Somalia,
Djibouti),and OFDA/ECARO contributed to this report.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY


1. Water availability has improved due to the recent
rainfall, but rains were below average to poor in some
pastoralist districts. Livestock conditions are
improving and prices of livestock have increased.
However, full recovery will require several consecutive
seasons of good rains. In addition, longer term
drought problems, such as low water tables and
reservoir levels, are still a major concern.

COUNTRY REPORTS


2. KENYA

UPDATE ON THE HUMANITARIAN FRONT: According to the
USAID-funded Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS
NET),most parts of the country received well-
distributed and at times heavy rains from April to mid-
May. The rainy season is expected to extend beyond
August in key maize producing areas, but projected to
end in May in most pastoral areas. Pasture and water
availability have improved in most pastoral areas
except parts of Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Marsabit, and
Turkana districts where rains have been poor.
Livestock body condition is improving in most of the
districts, particularly among browsers such as goats
and camels. Prices of goats have increased due to
their improved body conditions. Cattle prices have
also gone up mainly becaus some households have
started restocking, but only a few cattle with good
body condition are available for sale.

From May 22 to 24, a USAID/OFDA team comprising a
Public Health Advisor and an Information Officer
traveled to Garissa District, accompanied by
International Medical Corps' Country Director, to
follow up on reports of deteriorating health and
nutrition status. The team met with district
representatives from the Arid Lands Resource Management
Project (ALRMP) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) in
Garissa town, and traveled to Bura, Modogashe, and
Balabala divisions to assess conditions.

Officials report that eastern parts of the district
received average to heavy showers while rains were
below average in northern and western divisions. The

team confirmed that conditions in the areas visited
were dry with little pasture and few water sources.
The Arid Lands Office reports that water tankering is
continuing in Shimbirey, Abdi Gab, Ohi, and Alango.

Health status of the population is chronically poor and
access to healthcare is limited. An MOH/UN Children's
Fund (UNICEF) nutrition survey from October 2005
indicates 18.6 percent global acute malnutrition and
3.1 percent severe acute malnutrition in the district.
Currently, the only facility to treat severe
malnutrition is the provincial hospital in Garissa
town. USAID/OFDA has funded UNICEF and CARE to support
immunization, primary healthcare, nutrition, and water
activities in Garissa District. Additional details of
the team's findings are reported septel.

DONOR RESPONSE UPDATE: More recent non-USG pledges
include USD 3.7 million from the GOK, USD 2.0 million
from Saudi Arabia, and EURO 500,000 (approximately USD
638,626) from Spain. At present, approximately 52
percent of the total EMOP requirement (USD 225 million)
has been resourced.

WFP EMOP Pipeline: The cereals pipeline will break in
July, WFP are utilizing some of their cash
contributions for either local or international
purchases. This will improve the pipeline if they
arrive in country in time. WFP have received a
significant GOK contribution of 7,700MT of CSB and they
expect to start receiving 10,000 MT of CSB from the USG
in early July. Pulses stocks are very low at present
but will improve towards the end of July when pledges
totaling 15,000 MT start to arrive in Mombasa from the
USG and Canada. Vegetable Oil stocks are also low but
WFP have pledges from the USG for 7,090 MT which are
expected in mid July.


UPDATE ON THE FOOD SECURITY SITUATION AND OUTLOOK: FEWS
NET reports that Maize prices began rising in April in
all major markets across the country. The price
increase ranged between 3 and 10 percent in key
reference markets. This increase is consistent with
the long-term average trends where prices rise from May
through July, before the long rains harvest reaches the
market.

Between March and April, seven nutritional surveys were
conducted by various organizations, including the UN
Children's Fund (UNICEF),Action Against Hunger/US, and
Medecins Sans Frontieres/Belgium, which covered most
drought-affected pastoral areas. The survey results
indicated alarming levels of wasting and stunting rates
(as high as 45.3 percent and 23.5 percent in Marsabit
and Samburu respectively). Similarly, a five-year trend
analysis of nutritional surveys point to a general
deterioration of nutritional status in most of these
drought-affected pastoralist areas. A combination of

factors, including long periods of poor nutrition, lack
of access to health services, and extreme poverty have
contributed to this picture.

OTHER TOPICS OF SPECIAL INTEREST: The Kenya Red Cross
Society and GOK health officials confirmed that an
outbreak of dysentery in northeastern Kenya's Mandera
District has claimed the lives of 13 children in the
past three weeks. The outbreak was caused by
contamination of water sources in areas where carcasses
were washed into water pans.



3. ETHIOPIA

UPDATE ON THE HUMANITARIAN FRONT: USAID/OFDA continues
to respond to humanitarian needs resulting from the
regional drought. On May 16, a geographic information
systems (GIS) officer arrived in Addis Ababa. The GIS
officer is helping to assess and strengthen information
management and information sharing between USG field
programs and Washington. The GIS officer is meeting
with USG staff, UN agencies, and NGOs, and providing
GIS and information management support for the regional
response. In addition, the GIS officer is working with
other USAID/OFDA staff to implement a new database
tracking USAID/OFDA programs in Ethiopia. On May 21,
two field monitors and a field officer departed on a
nine-day monitoring trip in Southern Nations,
Nationalities, and Peoples Region (SNNPR). As of May
24, the team has traveled to several partner sites to
monitor three USAID/OFDA programs.

As of May 22, USAID/OFDA has programmed more than USD
6.5 million, primarily through grants to seven partner
non-governmental organization (NGO),UNICEF, and the
U.N. World Food Program (WFP). In response to the
drought, USAID/OFDA is currently reviewing proposals
and plans to program at least an additional USD 1.8
million before the end of FY 2006.

The European Union has recently confirmed that USD 4
million, of the USD 10 million designated for the Horn
of Africa, will be given to Ethiopia for the drought
emergency. Denmark has also made a recent commitment
of USD 700,000 to UNICEF for Health and Nutrition.

USAID's Pastoral Livelihood Initiative (PLI) partners
continue to implement approved emergency response
activities. Partners have vaccinated more than 1
million animals, and treated over 1.2 million
livestock. More than 200 community animal health
workers (CAHW) have been trained or utilized in these
campaigns. Support to commercial off-take of animals,
via revolving funds, will continue until the end of May

2006. Animal feed has been provided to maintain over
15,000 animals for breeding stock. Partners have
repaired or rehabilitated 59 water points, 11 motorized
and non-motorized deep boreholes, and 21 hand-dug wells

in Somali Region.

DPPA/WFP PIPELINE AND DONOR RESPONSE UPDATE: As of May
16, the Government of Ethiopia's (GOE) Disaster
Preparedness and Prevention Agency (DPPA) has reported
food allocations dispatched for Somali Region of 91
percent, 59 percent, and 0 percent for February, March,
and April respectively. The reported dispatches for
Oromiya Region are slightly higher, at 98, 98, and 60
percent for February, March, and April respectively.
Food dispatches and distributions continue to be
hampered in Somali Region due to rains and instability,
the latter having escalated recently, which is impeding
mobility in specific areas.

The DPPA/WFP cereal pipeline remains healthy into
August, largely because DPPA is two months behind on
distributions. The European Union has also announced a
commitment for 80,000 MT of locally purchased food,
which should take the pipeline through September and
possibly into October. The belg (local term for short
rainy season) assessment, due out in July, will provide
a more detailed picture of food and non-food emergency
needs for the remainder of 2006.

UPDATE ON FOOD SECURITY SITUATION AND OUTLOOK: Rains
continue to fall across Somali Region, providing much
needed relief in the hardest hit areas.
Unfortunately, rains have caused localized flooding,
which has delayed food distributions in some areas.
The overall forecast is still predicted to be below
normal for the season, especially in the southern and
eastern zones of the region.

Prices have increased to all time highs following the
bombings in Addis Ababa on May 12. The price of teff,
the most popular grain, has spiked by as much as 25
percent in the last two weeks, creating further
pressures on urban populations and the poorest of the
poor. Compounding the problem is the GOE's recent
price increase for petroleum products by approximately
20 percent three weeks ago. The GOE has announced that
further increases are planned gradually, in three month
intervals, as the government is currently cash-strapped
and can no longer afford subsidizing fuel. The
additional increases will have a large effect on the
transport sector, and subsequently on all other sectors
reliant on transport. Trends indicate prices will
continue to inflate until the fall harvest.


4. SOMALIA

UPDATE ON THE HUMANITARIAN FRONT: According to FEWS
NET, March to May rains across southern Somalia have
performed quite well this year, with normal to above
normal levels observed since March 1. In some areas,
rain started falling in February, resulting in a
somewhat extended season. These rains have improved
drought conditions, helped replenish water supplies,

and rejuvenated pastures. However, the deficits from
past failed seasons are still quite large, and longer-
term drought problems, such as low water tables and
reservoir levels, remain a concern. Rainfall levels
have been lower in May, reducing flooding and
increasing road access, especially for delivery of food
and other humanitarian assistance. On May 30, the Food
Security Analysis Unit (FSAU) of the UN Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) will announce
preliminary assessments of the current rainy season.

DONOR RESPONSE UPDATE: The European Commission (EC)
announced an aid package of Euro 70 million (USD
89,430,218) for the Somalia Recovery Program (SRP).
According to an EC press release, the SRP will provide
immediate support to address Somalia's governance and
security challenges, including consolidation of the
Transitional Federal Institutions, and support to
delivery of social services, particularly education and
water and sanitation, as well as rural development and
food security. The program includes Euro 18 Million
(USD 22,996,652) for EC air operations into Somalia.
This is particularly important as other organizations
depend on the EC flights for transport in and out of
Somalia to provide aid in the most remote regions of
the country. In addition, the European Commissioner
for Development and Humanitarian Aid announced his
visit to Somalia in mid-June, the first by a European
Commissioner in 10 years. In the last two weeks,
Somalia received donations of USD 4.8 million from the
Netherlands, and USD 3 million from Saudi Arabia.

FOOD PIPELINE UPDATE: In the last two weeks, WFP has
successfully delivered 18,100 MT without incident to
Merca, El Maan, Kismayo, Bosasso, and Berbera. WFP had
some space on one of their vessels and offered this to
CARE who loaded an additional 1,400 MT to EL Maan. In
early June, WFP plans three more vessels to transport
an additional 18,500 MT. CARE is planning to send an
additional consignment of 850 MT on May 26 to Merca.

Both WFP and CARE's pipelines are healthy for the next
two months, but road access is a problem. The areas
currently inaccessible by surface transport are parts
of lower Juba, Gedo, and all of middle Juba. WFP is
still looking for funding for their proposed air drop
operation to these areas.


5. DJIBOUTI

UPDATE ON THE FOOD SECURITY SITUATION AND OUTLOOK:
According to FEWS NET, overall food security is
improving due to recent rains and consistent food aid
deliveries to affected zones. There is, however, a
need for coordinated provision of emergency
interventions to avoid duplication of efforts and
ensure proper targeting. Food and income derived from
animals are not expected to improve significantly in
the short-term, and full recovery will require several

consecutive seasons of good rains.

The increased tension along the border between Ethiopia
and Eritrea is creating a massive rural exodus to the
Djiboutian side of the border of pastoralists escaping
the military mobilization by both countries. This will
increase the competition of already limited natural
resources as the carrying capacity on the Djiboutian
side is very low. Eldar and Manda markets in Ethiopia
are already distorted and pastoralists in that area are
having difficult using these markets efficiently.

WFP's EMOP is facing a shortfall of approximately USD
2.8 million. However, WFP received multilateral
donations from Luxembourg of USD 3 million; Ireland of
USD 3.6 million; Canada of USD 5.2 million, and an
estimated 1,240 MT of food aid from the USG, which is
expected to arrive at the end of June. This
contribution is part of USD 2 million announced by
Assistant Administrator for Democracy, Conflict, and
Humanitarian Assistance Mike Hess, during his visit to
Djibouti in April.

CONCLUSION


6. The rains in the last few months have stabilized
the situation in the region to a certain extent and
conditions are not as dire as compared to the beginning
of the year. Based on this, REDSO/FFP and USAID/Kenya
will now transmit the bi-weekly humanitarian reporting
cable on a monthly basis.

BELLAMY