UN alarmed by food security situation in Ethiopia’s Ogaden

By Tesfa-alem Tekle

January 2, 2008 (ADDIS ABABA) — The United Nations said it was increasingly concerned about food security situation in Ethiopia’s impoverished Somali region where conflict between Government forces and the Ogaden National Liberation Front(ONLF) has intensified this year.

“The humanitarian situation in the region has been compounded by poor rains and the decreasing availability of pasture and water, while food prices are being pushed up by restrictions on the cross-border movement of goods,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a report it released.

OCHA noted that there have been some reported cases of malnutrition, and expressed worries over a potential desert locust outbreak, especially as the dry season begins.

According to the report, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has distributed more than 17,000 tons of food, while the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is working with the Government on a locust response plan.

The report added The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has supported and trained five mobile health and nutrition teams, and also intends to restock ten major health facilities with emergency drug kits.

Earlier this month, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes noted There were strong reasons to believe such a catastrophe could occur in the next few months in the region “if all the necessary action to avert it is not taken.”

(ST)