O 201121Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3449
INFO AMEMBASSY ASMARA 
AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI 
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 
USEU BRUSSELS
USMISSION GENEVA 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
AMEMBASSY ROME 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
DIA WASHDC
CJTF HOA
NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS ADDIS ABABA 000144 
 
 
STATE DEPARTMENT AF/E, AF/PDPA, OES, AND PRM/AFR 
USAID for AFR EGAST, CTHOMPSON 
DCHA/AA MHESS, 
DCHA/OFDA KLUU, KCHANNELL 
DCHA/FFP JDWORKEN, PMOHAN 
LONDON, PARIS, ROME FOR AFRICA WATCHER 
CJTF-HOA AND USCENTCOM FOR POLAD 
USDA/FAS FOR U/S PENN, RTILSWORTH, AND LPANASUK 
NAIROBI FOR OFDA/ECARO JMYER, GPLATT, RFFPO NCOX 
ROME FOR USMISSION UN ROME 
NEW YORK FOR DMERCADO 
USEU FOR PBROWN 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH, RMA 
NSC FOR PMARCHAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PHUM SENV EAGR PGOV ET
SUBJECT: FOOD SHORTAGES IN TIGRAY REGION DUE TO POOR 2008 RAINS 
 
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Summary 
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¶1.  Local and regional officials, relief organizations, and affected 
communities report deterioration of food security in southern and 
eastern areas of Tigray Region.  Failed belg rains and uneven meher 
rains in 2008 resulted in poor crop production, insufficient feed 
and pasture for livestock, and lack of water for human and animal 
consumption, threatening populations' livelihoods and coping 
mechanisms.  Due to poor crop production and late and insufficient 
relief response, Tigray Region health officials report increased 
malnutrition rates among children under five years of age and 
pregnant and lactating mothers. 
 
¶2.  Shortages of water and food for human and animal consumption, 
malnutrition, and poor crop performance continue to constitute 
significant challenges for individuals in Tigray that require 
further attention.  According to the October 2008 Government of the 
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (GFDRE) Revised Humanitarian 
Requirements Document, more than 601,000 people outside the 
Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) require at least three months 
of assistance in affected areas of Tigray.  USAID and humanitarian 
organizations continue to closely monitor the situation and respond 
to needs.  End summary. 
 
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Introduction 
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¶3.  From December 14 to 20, a USAID Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster 
Assistance (USAID/OFDA) program monitor traveled to Tigray to assess 
the impact of drought on food security, as well as the nutrition 
status of children and pregnant and lactating mothers.  The program 
monitor met with regional and woreda officials, non-governmental 
organizations (NGOs), and residents of eight drought-affected 
woredas, including Atsbi Womberta, Sasei Tsada Emba, and Kilte 
Awlalo in east Tigray and Hintalo-wajirat, Raya Azebo, Endamehoni, 
Alaje, and Enderta in south Tigray. 
 
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Crop Production and Impact on Emergency Food Aid 
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¶4.  Late, uneven, and poor 2008 rains resulted in inadequate overall 
performance of long-cycle crops, such as maize, sorghum, and finger 
millet, compared to the previous five years.  According to the NGO 
the Relief Society of Tigray (REST), long dry spells and late 
planting resulted in cultivation of only 28 percent of usual planned 
long-cycle crops. 
 
¶5.  During normal seasons, six woredas benefit from February to 
March belg rains, constituting 20 percent of annual production. 
However, planned crop production collapsed in 2008 due to belg rain 
failure.  According to REST, farmers in Ofla Woreda only produced 
10.8 percent of planned crops, and production completely failed in 
the five remaining belg-dependent woredas.  Three of the 
woredas--Raya Azebo, Hintalo-wajirat, and Alamata---are among the 
ten Tigray Regional Early Warning, Response, and Food Security 
Bureau-designated malnutrition "hot spot" woredas.  Similarly, the 
onset of the July to September kiremt rains in most affected woredas 
was late compared to previous years, and moisture-related stress 
resulting from poor amount and distribution of rainfall affected 
short-cycle crops, such as barley, wheat, teff, and pulses. 
 
¶6.  On October 14, 2008, the GFDRE revised the number of people 
requiring emergency assistance in Ethiopia from 4.6 million to 6.4 
million people, including more than 601,000 individuals in Tigray 
outside of the PSNP.  In addition to supporting three months of food 
rations, the Revised Humanitarian Requirements Document recommended 
establishing nutrition centers, distributing animal feed, destocking 
animals, and providing potable water through water tankering in 
affected woredas.  Subsequent meher seasonal assessments, which have 
not yet been released, indicate that approximately the same number 
of people will require assistance through March 2009. 
 
¶7.  From October to December 2008, Early Warning and Response 
Department (EWRD) provided one to three months of food assistance to 
individuals in Tigray.  Through the November to December allocation, 
REST is currently providing two months of food aid to approximately 
145,000 people through the Joint Emergency Operation (JEOP). 
However, the authorized relief rations only includes 10 kg of cereal 
instead of a full 17.5 kg ration of cereal, oil, and pulses due to 
limited grain reserve stocks.  Although JEOP provided REST with the 
full food basket for relief, the EWRD instructed REST to distribute 
a 10 kg ration.  Without the official release of meher assessment 
results and EWRD emergency relief supplies allocations, vulnerable 
individuals in Tigray will not receive assistance after 
organizations exhaust December food allocations. 
 
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Livestock Production Concerns 
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¶8.  In Tigray, livestock represent one of the main sources of 
livelihood and income generation, constituting a significant portion 
of a household's food and income and providing resiliency to 
drought.  For instance, in more prosperous households of Irob 
Woreda, families earn 80 percent of income from livestock sales. 
However, due to successive poor or failed rains, lowland areas of 
Tigray are experiencing pronounced animal feed and water shortages, 
causing weakened animals to walk long distances in search of water. 
REST does not foresee potential feed source replenishment until belg 
and azmera rains commence in February and April 2009, expected to 
improve pasture and water availability in affected woredas until the 
main July to September kiremt rains begin. 
 
¶9.  The UN Food and Agriculture Organization and REST are providing 
grass and concentrate to 12,900 out of an estimated 40,573 
vulnerable animals in the three most-affected woredas of Raya Azebo, 
Hintalo-wajirat, and Atsbi Womberta.  According to REST and woreda 
officials, households are unable to commercially destock livestock 
in the local market due to lack of demand for animals in poor 
visible condition. 
 
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Increasing Malnutrition Rates 
----------------------------- 
 
¶10.  Tigray woreda officials expressed concern regarding increased 
malnutrition rates among children under five years of age and 
pregnant and lactating mothers.  Results from the October 2008 
Regional Health Bureau (RHB) nutrition assessment indicated an 
overall 9.6 percent increase in the global acute malnutrition (GAM) 
rate and 1 percent increase in the severe acute malnutrition (SAM) 
rate from the regional Enhanced Outreach Survey average in June 
2008, increasing the GAM rate for children under five years of age 
to 18 percent and SAM rate to nearly 2 percent.  The assessment 
included nearly 210,000 children aged 6 to 59 months and more than 
37,000 pregnant and lactating mothers in 20 emergency nutrition hot 
spots. 
 
¶11.  In addition, Atsbi Womberta Woreda health officials report an 
increase in malnutrition rates from June to September 2008. 
 
According to woreda health officials, the GAM rate increased from 8 
percent to 19.9 percent, the SAM rate from less than 1 percent to 
3.3 percent, and edema from zero to nearly 1 percent during this 
time period.  In response to malnutrition concerns in Tigray, RHB 
and the Regional Early Warning and Food Security Bureau stressed the 
need for the Emergency Nutrition Coordination Unit (ENCU) to conduct 
a standard nutritional survey. 
 
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Water for Humans and Animals 
---------------------------- 
 
¶12.  The USAID/OFDA program monitor noted that ground water levels 
had decreased considerably in several woredas, including Raya Azebo, 
Atsbi Womberta, and Endeta.  According to woreda officials, ponds 
and springs are also dry, necessitating construction of new ponds 
and springs and/or rehabilitation of existing water sources, 
particularly in lowland communities bordering Afar Region.  In 
addition, REST noted the need for emergency boreholes in Raya Azebo 
Woreda. 
 
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Future Concerns and Actions to Date 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶13.  While regional government, NGO, and donor relief efforts have 
helped stabilize the humanitarian situation in Tigray, continued 
efforts are necessary to sustain food insecure individuals in the 
coming months.  Shortages of water and food for human and animal 
consumption, malnutrition, and poor crop performance constitute 
significant challenges for individuals in Tigray that require 
further attention. 
 
¶14.  High prices and limited availability of animal feed may exhaust 
coping mechanisms during the December to late June dry season in 
Tigray.  Farmers face an increasingly precarious situation, as 
animals weaken from walking long distances in search of water and 
individuals consume seeds stocks intended for cultivation.  Combined 
with anticipated food price increases during the dry season, this 
situation threatens to erode coping mechanisms and endanger crop 
cultivation during the subsequent rainy season. 
 
¶15.  In response to food security concerns, the UN World Food 
Program is implementing emergency food aid, PSNP, and targeted 
supplementary feeding programs in Tigray.  In addition, the NGO 
Concern is treating moderate and severe acute malnutrition in 
federal and regional ENCU-designated priority woredas in Tigray 
through a USAID/OFDA grant.  USAID/OFDA will continue to monitor the 
situation in Tigray and report on humanitarian conditions.  In 
addition, the U.S. Ambassador and USAID Mission Director plan to 
travel to Tigray next month to further assess the situation and 
demonstrate support for emergency feeding programs. 
 
YAMAMOTO