WHO in Ethiopia
Drought crisis 2002
WHO was among the multi-agency mission that visited West Hararge zone of Oromiya
region during 14-16 September 2002. The purpose of the visit was to assess the prevailing
emergency situation and recommend appropriate actions. The mission visited six of the 11
Woredas in the zone and held discussions with various government and non-governmental
organizations, local authorities and communities. The assessment team found that there is
severe food insecurity in the zone, inadequate general food distribution is going on, and there
could be possibilities of disease outbreaks at any given time (although there is no indication
of disease outbreaks right at the time). The mission recommended that anthropometric
nutrition assessment of children in both lowland and highland areas should be conducted, and
supplementary feeding centers should be established based on the result of the assessment.
One of the areas where WHO is involved in assisting the drought affected population in
Ethiopia is in providing emergency health kits (EHK). Government has requested for 600
EHKs that would serve for 6,000,000 people for at least 3 months. WHO is keen to procure
and distribute 50 EHKs from its regular budget, 28 of which are already in the pipeline. The
Netherlands government has also pledged to provide 1 million Euro for the purchase of
EHKs, 20 of which are already being assembled locally by PHARMID, a government-owned
importer/distributor of pharmaceuticals. Procurement and distribution plan for the
Netherlands government-funded EHKs has been worked out in consultation with the MOH
and the Netherlands Embassy.
Further appeal paper by WHO for additional 200 EHKs is to be finalized soon and will be
submitted to donors. If this funding is achieved, it will bring all EHKs assistance by WHO to
about 400, that means, more than 65% of Ministry of Health EHK requirement will be met; in
other words about 4,000, 000 people will be assisted.