ICRC warns of vulnerable malnourished population in south-east

While international attention is focused on the Ethiopian-Eritrean conflict and the mass displacement in Eritrea, a "generally malnourished population" in south-eastern Ethiopia is increasingly vulnerable to drought, famine, flooding and insecurity, says a report released by the ICRC on Wednesday. The report says that abundant rains in late April-May presented "new humanitarian challenges" in the fragile Somali Regional ational State, washing out roads and bridges and inflicting disease on drought-weakened livestock. Distributions of assistance to several areas "virtually ceased", cutting off needy populations in isolated areas for prolonged periods. The ICRC warns that the late arrival of rains "will almost certainly impact on the potential yield of future harvests" and have serious implications for food security in the coming months. Weather patterns appear to have reverted to the usual dry, arid conditions. There have been no further rains since 11 May in Gode Zone, the logistical hub of the ICRC relief operation. Several thousand drought-affected displaced and destitute people who have flocked to urban centres have been particularly vulnerable to recent extreme weather conditions. ICRC has undertaken an emergency veterinary programme in Gode Zone because of the impact of torrential rains on severely weakened livestock. Veterinary drugs have been distributed to nomadic herdsmen in co-ordination with the multi-donor South-East Rangelands Project, to treat more than 100,000 cattle, sheep and goats. "Sensitive political and security constraints in the Somali region" have required effort to maintain good communication with local and regional representatives, and clan elders. ICRC cites "apparently insurmountable problems" at Dire Dawa airport, preventing its use as a point of entry for air cargo, and requiring direct flights to Gode. The cost of two ICRC-chartered Ilyushin 36 aircraft, flying daily into Gode from 29 May, is compounded by political-logistical problems in the region. "Bringing incoming cargo of such quantities into what was essentially a military airport servicing a remote region" required a considerable logistical operation on the ground, said the report. Five additional expatriate staff have been posted to Gode, and warehousing facilities and access roads have been repaired and rehabilitated.