The Ethiopian Federal Ombudsman Institute, which assessed the drought impact in the Amhara and Tigray regions, has called on the government to issue an official declaration regarding whether the situation qualifies as a drought or famine.
The Institute dispatched a team of experts to the two regions to conduct assessments, uncovering the shortcomings in the procedures for evaluating the drought’s impact and the status of humanitarian aid delivery. The Institute noted that the government has provided various figures, including the identification of beneficiaries at different district levels, and has also released data it has collected independently.
The Tigray’s regional interim administration puts the number of drought victims at 4.2 million, but Ethiopia’s Disaster Risk Management Commission says the figure is 2.2 million.
The Institute emphasized the communication gap in the Amhara region between the Disaster Risk Management Commission and the Food Cluster, as well as among different zones and districts, going even as far as to state no displacement or deaths resulting from the drought. Consequently, Endale Haile, the head of the institute, told the BBC that it was not possible to provide sufficient assistance to those in need. “In situations where those affected have not been properly identified, it is not possible to assist appropriately. For example, the federal government’s estimation of 2.2 million and the region’s estimate of 4.2 million indicate a discrepancy of 2 million. This suggests that 2 million people may not receive the necessary aid,” he said.
Endale stated that there is pressure from the government to ensure that people displaced due to drought are not sheltered in camps but are instead being reintegrated into the community.
The Ombudsman Institute reported that 351 people have died in the Abergele and Isra Waadi Wojrat districts of the Tigray region due to drought-induced starvation. Furthermore, the Institute stated that 15,565 people were displaced from these districts, with thousands of children not attending school.
Due to the ongoing conflict in the Amhara region, the team of experts was unable to conduct in-person assessments. However, data collected via phone indicates that more than 1.8 million people are at risk due to drought in the region. According to the Institute, approximately 326,000 hectares of crop fields in the region’s 9 zones have been rendered completely unproductive due to drought and more than 1.8 million people are facing economic, social, and psychological problems.
While the regional government maintains that no deaths have occurred due to drought, the Institute has confirmed that 21 people have died of starvation in the North Gondar and Waghemra zones. Despite the regional government’s denial, the Ombudsman reports that more than 31,000 people have been displaced due to the drought in two districts only. The regional government, asserting that displacement camps are unnecessary, has made it impossible for displaced people to access adequate services, Endale said.
There is no consensus regarding whether the situation should be categorized as famine or drought, which impacts the government’s ability to provide necessary support to victims in different areas, the Ombudsman Institute said.
The World Food Program defines famine as a situation where 20 percent of households experience extreme food shortages, 30 percent of children suffer from acute malnutrition, and 2 in 10,000 people die from starvation and related causes. The Ombudsman Institute has advised government agencies to determine the situation and focus on delivering aid.
