Most of Humanitarian Assistance To Drought Hit Areas Covered by Gov’t - NDRMC

March 21/2022 /ENA/  Some 60 percent of all humanitarian assistance in various parts of Ethiopia is covered by the government , Mitiku Kassa, Commissioner for the National Disaster ND Risk Management of Ethiopia (NDRMC), said.

Speaking with ENA, Mitiku Kassa said the government of Ethiopia continued to step up efforts to respond to humanitarian efforts, especially in areas that are affected by La Niña induced drought in the eastern and southern parts of the country.

The government of Ethiopia is also working closely with international partners to avail humanitarian assistance to all the needy people in various parts of the country, he said.

According to him, this year’s La Niña induced drought has impacted more than 6.4 million people in the eastern and southern parts of Ethiopia, covering a wide geographic area and a wider population.

The provision of food and non-food items has been well underway in the drought-affected places, Mitiku said, adding that the assistance will continue until their lives are restored back to normal.

Vulnerable groups, especially lactating mothers, children, people with disabilities, and the elderly are getting priority, he added.

The nonfood assistance includes water trucking and supply, health services, fodder for livestock, veterinary services for livestock, vaccination, digging emergency boreholes, he indicated.

In a bid to save a large number of livestock, animal feed has been provided to breading stocks, he said. He added that producing livestock feeds that can be matured within 45 days is also well underway.

Selling livestock to traders and  abattoirs as well as buying weak animals from pastoralists for the purpose of getting dried meat to food assistance to the needy is also one form of intervention being underway, he said.

The start of the rainy season will improve the situation, he said.

The government and partners should work very hard to optimize and save water and forage use to withstand the effects of the drought, he added.