US Ambassador Announces Emergency Relief for Somali Region

Addis Ababa (U.S. Embassy) – United States Ambassador Donald Yamamoto announced that the U.S. is providing US $18.7 million (169 million birr) in humanitarian assistance for needs in Ethiopia’s Somali Region.  The United States is working with the Government of Ethiopia, international and NGO partners, on responding to the concerns over the humanitarian conditions in the Ogaden.  The United States welcomes the decision by the Government of Ethiopia to permit a United Nations monitoring mission to assess conditions in Somali Region.

The United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) has committed nearly US $3.7 million (33.4 million birr) in emergency relief for health, nutrition, and livelihood programs to support Ethiopians in Somali Region.  In addition, USAID recently provided over US $15 million (135.4 million birr) of emergency food assistance to the UN World Food Program (WFP) in response to the food insecurity in Somali Region, as well as to malnutrition reports and recent flood displacements in other regions.

Despite good rains in Ethiopia’s Somali Region in late 2006, the cumulative impact of a decade of drought, intermittent civil conflict, high rates of malnutrition, steadily increasing food prices, flooding, and Rift Valley fever has increased the vulnerability of pastoralists to famine and destitution. In addition, recent conflict and security concerns have restricted commercial trade, delayed food distributions, and limited movement of pastoralists and their livestock. 

The United States has provided over US $200 million (1.8 billion birr) to support humanitarian programs throughout Ethiopia this year, including the delivery of food aid, strengthening disaster preparedness, and implementing emergency nutrition, health, and water programs.