Oxfam Dangerous Delays: East Africa Acute Hunger

During the last few months flooding has displaced around 180,000 people whilst destroying tens of thousands of hectares of cropland.

Oxfam is responding to flood affected families in Turkana and Wajir counties in Kenya. Cash distributions are ongoing to 1250 HHs in Turkana and 600 HHs in Wajir. The total number of people reached by Oxfam flood response is estimated to be 38,788. This is the third rapid response that the Kenya team has been involved in this year.

Conflict-induced displacement is expected to continue disrupting food and income access among IDPs and drive increased humanitarian assistance needs. In Ethiopia, 1.4 million new internal displacements have already been recorded, surpassing both Syria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Somalia and South Sudan too are among the 10 worst-affected countries for new displacement.

The total number of moderately acutely malnourished children under the age of 5 currently stands at 3.5 million in Ethiopia, 328,000 in Kenya and 301,000 in Somalia while the number of severely malnourished children is at 350,000 in Ethiopia, 71,500 in Kenya and 48,000 in Somalia.

To date Oxfam’s response to the East Africa Food Crisis has provided:

• 1,926,658 people with access to clean, safe drinking water.
• 280,854 people with multipurpose cash grants, allowing people to purchase necessary food and hygiene supplies.
• 3,224, 356 animals with vaccinations and treatment.
• 589,919 people with public health and hygiene training.

Ethiopia

Somali Region Humanitarian and Resilience Strategy was developed and effective since April 2018. As of July 2018, Oxfam has reached 17,446 new beneficiaries.

• Oxfam has installed and is managing 28 emergency water points and serving over 99,000 refugees.
• 3500 households in 11 IDP camps received cash complementary kits. 797 beneficiary households received the last round of cash payment from conditional Cash transfer at Nguenyyiel camp.
• 395,816 heads of different species of animals received vaccination to ensure livelihood protection needs in Korahey.
• 3,045 people have been reached on hygiene promotion and awareness at 7 sites in Somali Region.
• Over 364 latrines doors and 82 bathing shelters were constructed with handwashing facilities and protection features.
• Jarar completed dignity kit distribution to 1750 vulnerable people in all 5 targeted IDP camps.
• 56 persons with disabilities have received mobility aids (crutches and White Canes) in this month bringing the total beneficiaries reached to 216 PWDs.

Somaliland

A total of 62,021 people were reached in Sool, Sanaag and Toghdeer in July 2018.

• 116 Households received the last distribution of LifeStraw filters in promotion of household water treatment through filtration.
• 4,477 house to house visits were carried out in Sool and Sanaag to promote good hygiene practices.
• 3,382 Households in Sool and Sanaag received first round of unconditional cash transfers. Verification of all beneficiaries was also completed in Sool and Sanaag sites.
• More than 3300 Households benefited from community animal health worker support (CAHWs) for animal treatment of internal and external parasites in Sool.
• The final 14 latrines were completed bringing the total to 26 latrines. 352 people will benefit from the newly constructed latrines.

Kenya

81,911 people remain affected by floods in Tana River county.

• 500 drought affected households received water treatment agents.
• 2798 drought affected households have received unconditional cash grant of Ksh 4000 in June 2018 to meet their food needs. 16,788 people receive cash distribution in flood affected areas in Turkana and Wajir counties.
• Construction of 46 separated bathing areas there reaching 4000 flood affected women in camps. 3507 people were reached with key hygiene messages in the Moyale Asylum Response.
• 137 emergency latrines constructed to benefit 10,000 flood affected people in Tana River county.
• 1050 dignity kits for women have been procured and will be delivered in the month of August 2018.
• By early July, an outbreak of RVF, which affects both humans and livestock, was contained in Wajir and significantly reduced in parts of Northern Kenya.

Fatuma’s Story

Fatuma Juma, 25 years, a mother of four children, three daughters and one son born and bred in Bakuyu village, Tana River County, Kenya is one of the people that has been affected by the severe flooding. Fatuma is a member of a women group locally referred to as chama with 12 members. They each contribute USD 0.49 and share it in a merry-go-round approach on a weekly basis. Currently the group is dormant because of the floods that distabilised their source of livelihoods.

“Once we recover from the effects of the floods, we will resume running our chama which will help us grow our businesses and improve lives,” Fatuma says. Fatuma’s two roomed family house was not spared during the March 2018 floods in Tana River County. “The roof and half the wall were all washed away together with our household items. I am now living in a tent with my husband and our four children,”

According to Fatuma, women were the hardest hit, such that while in the camps they had to wait for darkness to relieve themselves in the nearby bush. Others took extreme measures by avoiding meals to avoid the need to relieve themselves.

These toilets have helped us maintain basic hygiene and prevent diseases because before that we were helping ourselves in the nearby bush which is dehumanizing.”

According to FEWSNET, rainfall has been above average over broad areas of Somalia, Eastern and Southern Ethiopia and nearly all of Kenya. The strong performance of seasonal rains has contributed to a continuation of timely and well-distributed rains that had already resulted in seasonal rainfall surpluses across much of the region. Heavy rainfall has persisted across much of East Africa since March, with rainfall totalling more than 200 percent of average in many areas. According to the Global Forecast System (GFS), moderate to heavy rainfall is expected to persist across much of East Africa through the end of May.

Flooding in the Horn of Africa has affected ongoing humanitarian operations limiting access to drought and conflict affected populations prior to the floods. This has also limited the ability of humanitarian organizations to conduct full and comprehensive needs assessments in flood affected areas. Over 1 million people have been affected by the floods and at least 700,760 people displaced.

Tensions between Somali and Oromo communities and conflict along the border separating the two regions has displaced around 1 million people. Ethnic based clashes continue in Ethiopian town of Moyale forcing around 10,000 residents to seek asylum in Moyale, Kenya.

An increase in Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD) outbreaks has been witnessed in Kenya and Somalia. The current outbreak is unusual due to its long duration. Cumulatively Kenya has so far reported 2,829 cases and 55 deaths in 2018 while Somalia has reported a total of 2,267 cases including 9 deaths since December 2017 while Ethiopia has reported 98 cases in 2018.

A combination of conflict, drought and disease outbreaks in the Horn of Africa has left 9.7 million children in need of humanitarian assistance. The total number of moderately acutely malnourished children under the age of 5 remains at 4.1 million while severely malnourished children has reached 469,500.

 ETHIOPIA

Oxfam supports a total of 1,005,077 people cumulatively in the Somali region of Ethiopia.

Water trucking is currently ongoing in Korahey zone. Over 277,528 litres  of water has been delivered so far. 5 boreholes have been installed with solar system and communities are getting water from renewal energy which are ready to be piloted for backyard gardening. Over 240 water storage tanks have been installed in key locations (IDP camps, medical and school institutions).

A total of 209,724 people have been reached through conditional and unconditional cash transfer program. A total of 5,037 households have received cash in 13 different districts

Oxfam has vaccinated 1,855,121 animals as well as treated 638,056 animals  against drought related diseases.

139,335 people have been reached mainly through trained community health volunteers in Woredas. The awareness focused on Jerrycan cleansing, safe water handling, proper hand washing and use of toilets to reduce exposure of waterborne diseases.

Mobile protection teams conducted their routine protection monitoring, awareness raising sessions, facilitating recreational activities and community consultation meetings in the five IDPS of Gashamo Woredas. A total of 626 individuals (397 males and 229 females) were reached.

Severe flooding was reported in parts of Oromia, Somali, and SNNP regions, causing significant damage to infrastructure. An estimated over 97,000 people were displaced.

SOMALIA

144,551 people have been reached through Oxfam interventions in April 2018.

The continuation of cash for water in Sool and Toghdeer included water bill payment for 609 households for 2 months. 597 households in 2 villages from Sool will get water through finalization of the cash for water program. Community hand-over of WASH structures constructed in Sool region was carried out.

The construction of 21 remaining latrines was completed in Sool bringing the total to 55. Latrine use and maintenance training was provided to 55 households along with distribution and demonstration of latrine cleaning kits.

The construction of Tuulo water pond in Sool was completed and 50 households have received their wages through the cash for work program.

Camel treatment campaign in partnership with the ministry of livestock was launched in Togdheer, Sool and Sanaag. 320,000 camels were treated during the campaign benefitting 134,766 people.

More than 14,000 hectares of crops have been destroyed in riverine areas of Hiraan, Middle and Lower Shabelle, and Middle and Lower Juba, and OCHA estimates 219,000 people have been displaced.

KENYA

Oxfam has reached a total of 528,791 people in Nairobi, Turkana, Wajir and Marsabit counties.

13,000 people will benefit from the construction of an elevated steel water tank in Wajir county, Bosicha Village.

The team is working with the public health hygiene promoters conducting house to house sensitization on proper use of latrines and bathrooms, construction of proper drainage systems, joint clean up of the camps with the community and solid management activities. Distribution of water treatment aquatabs and PUR and continuous sensitization on water treatment.

Sanitation remains a major problem in Moyale, the camps are currently flooded creating risk of water borne diseases. The response team is training the community on basic hygiene and sanitation to prevent diseases.

Flooding has occurred in 40 counties, displacing over 311,000 people, with the most significant impacts occurring in Tana-River, Kilifi, Garissa, Mandera, Siaya, Homa-Bay, Turkana, and Nakuru counties. Oxfam together with ALDEF and WASDA are responding to the floods in Tana River. Oxfam is providing overall oversight through management and technical backstopping lead in WASH response activities.

SOUTH SUDAN

Rains started in some of our bases. In theory, these rains which have come slightly earlier than last year should limit the amount of fighting that takes place both in terms of the national conflict and localised cattle raiding. On the other hand, rains make it much harder to access the more remote areas of programme implementation. Most bases are affected by this each year. The Humanitarian situation continues to get worse. Food stocks in many areas have been  depleted  since  January  and  harvests  will  not  start  to  come  in until July, so the situation will continue to get worse until then.

In the last month over 800 hygiene kits have been distributed, and over 100 latrines have been constructed. As well as this Oxfam have supported the drilling of new boreholes, carried out hygiene awareness training and other campaigns to reach out to people regarding public health.

Oxfam has also carried out different forms of distribution, including food vouchers, Seeds, tools, livestock and Canoe transport. Benefitted over 10,000 people.

Trainings on livestock rearing, fishing, protection, as well as competency based skills training, to give people greater chance to start earning income.

For sustainability communities have been in training focussing on management of community development projects, including community water projects. They also focussed on creating community awareness to improve sanitation practice.

In the last month Oxfam has supported over 130,000 people in South Sudan.

With the help of your donations Oxfams interventions have reached over 1,800,000 people.

 

Thank you for your support of Oxfam's response to the East Africa Food Crisis. Your support has enabled us to save lives and give hope to those affected in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan.