General data

ACF France's Mission

Launch date: 1984
Local staff : 199
Expatriates : 12

Country key figures

Beneficiaries : 127 979

Population : 85 million inhabitants (2010)
Life expectancy : 56.1 years (2010)
Human Development Indicator : 157th in world ranking out of 169 (2007)
GDP/inhabitant : 344$ US

Sources : WHO, World Bank, UNDP

Context

Ethiopia is likely to perpetuate this paradox of being one of the fastest growing economies in the world while at the same time one of the major recipients of external aid . Both the size and the growth rate of the Ethiopian population demand that such economic performance be sustained for another decade before its benefits reach the majority, and especially the poorest ones. In the meantime, these latter will continue to rely on external aid.
The government exerts a strong control over every aspect of the humanitarian response, from needs assessments to aid delivery. The government is also actively engaged in the direct provision of humanitarian assistance through a decentralized system involving regional and local authorities.
On the humanitarian level, the diversity of zones and needs – densely-populated mountainous regions or the arid pastures of the lowlands – and the strong control of the administration make analyzing situations and the humanitarian responses to be provided highly complex. Peoples’ situation is often critical in regions subject to abrupt climatic changes, bad agricultural seasons and chronic loss of income. It is estimated that on average around 10 million people face food insecurity and depend every year on external aid to meet their food needs. New food security policies and struggle against malnutrition are being developed by the government, but they remain insufficient.

Food insecurity, poor access to safe water and sanitation facilities, inappropriate hygiene and care practices are as many factors contributing to maintain/increase a high prevalence of chronic malnutrition in SNNPR which could result in recurrent acute malnutrition peaks.

46% of people do not have access to safe drinking water and are forced to use unprotected water sources for drinking purpose; this problematic is especially acute in rural areas.
Poor hygienic practice aggravated by lack of safe water supply has a direct causal linkage with malnutrition.

Finally, in addition to structural difficulties, people in areas of conflict are subjected to the effects of military campaigns, aggravated by very limited access for humanitarian aid. This is currently the case in the Somali region.

ACF in Ethiopia

If the teams keep on developing interventions in the pastoral zones of the lowlands often marginalized, notably in the Somali region, ACF’s programmes have been reinforced over the last few years in the mountainous regions where most people live.

In these difficult contexts, ACF continues both to respond to emergencies and support, developing people’s capacity to confront new ‘shocks’ (climatic or linked to conflict), for example by supporting livestock or agriculture.  
ACF has carried out research for a year in the mountains on the changes and limits of recent governmental policies on food security and supplementary nutrition and strengthen its projects in a complementary approach towards these initiatives.
In the conflict-ridden Somali region, medium-term projects may be put in question by the insecurity and external constraints which weigh on access to humanitarian aid to people. ACF is monitoring the evolution of the humanitarian situation in order to adapt its responses to meet potential emergencies in the zone.
 

Somali region  

Food security

• Training and follow-up of para-veterinarians ; Emergency animal treatment
• Support for sellers of medicine for animals ; Community awareness-building re animal health (training workshops and documentation)

Water, sanitation and hygiene

• Study of the dynamics of herding with a view to developing a programme to improve access to water for shepherds and their cattle

 

SNNPR  Region

Nutrition and health

• Treatment of severe and moderate malnutrition, with a protocol for ambulatory treatment, stabilization centres and distribution points
• Support for treatment of children and psychosocial support

Food security

• « Food for Work » programmes

Water and sanitation

• Improvement of access to water (wells) and sanitation

Funding

ECHO, EuropeAid, OCHA, Fondation de France, private donations.