Number of famine victims set to rise

Ethiopia is still struggling to escape the grip of famine with the numbers in need increasing by more than half a million people, according to a government-led assessment. The study, due out this week, says the number of victims of the unprecedented crisis now stands at 13.2 million. The increase by 600,000 people – all requiring food aid - follows an assessment of harvests around the country from the small belg rains which fall in March and April. The assessment, which also included 14 different humanitarian agencies, notes that key areas of the country are still struggling to combat the famine. A crucial health reassessment is also expected to indicate an urgent need for drugs in parts of the country – particularly in the south which has been hard hit by the crisis. In particular, there is an urgent need for drugs to combat malaria and other acute illnesses which are now reaching epidemic proportions in some parts. The announcement comes as the international community met the 1.5 million mt of food aid needed in one of the largest ever emergencies to befall Ethiopia. Key areas affected by poor rains include eastern and south Tigray, Wag Hamra and North and South Wello zones in Amhara Region, and the highlands of east and west Haraghe. The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Ethiopia says the report shows a “less promising” picture for many parts of the country with human and livestock in critical condition. “With rains unpredictable and erratic, the farmers' strategy of planting and replanting has led to reported shortage of seeds in some regions,” OCHA added.