|
Roy Love : 16 December 2009
Horn of Africa: London based think tank Chatham House published a briefing paper on economic drivers of conflict and cooperation in the Horn of Africa.
According to the research agency, economic relations between nations in the Horn of Africa could play a vital role in bringing peaceful cooperation to the region. However, disagreement over territorial integrity, cultural nationalism and internal factionalism have economic elements which fuel conflict or are critical to its outcome.
Further, it states the Horn of Africa remains highly violent and conflict driven within and across national borders. The fact that the region is linked together through colonial occurrences, common ecological zones and cultural interdependence, explains why disputes in one country can have political and economic significance beyond its borders.
The termination of trade between Eritrea and Ethiopia after the 1998-2000 war represents an economic driver of conflict, the report states. The border closure between Eritrea and Ethiopia caused all Ethiopian trade to be redirected via Djibouti.
The growth of trade volumes via Djibouti went up from 1.7 million tonnes in 1997 to 3.1 million tonnes in 1998 and 4.2 million tonnes in 2002. Before the conflict the port of Assab was handling 80 – 85% of Ethiopia’s international trade, with only 15 – 20% passing through Djibouti.
According to the think tank a possible return of trade between Ethiopia and Eritrea will depend on a number of factors;
The degree of development in the economic infrastructure of Tigray
The availability of finance to upgrade the ports of Massawa and Assab
The degree of competitive measures applied from Djibouti
Low cost operation costs at ports in Somalia (Berbera port fees 40% lower than those in Djibouti)
The development of relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia
The alternative of road supply routes with Sudan (cheap import and exports- only 45km from Tessenei)
http://www.capitaleritrea.com/region/eritrea-london-think-tank-on-economic-drivers-of-conflict-and-cooperation/
Summary points:
Among the drivers of conflict in the Horn of Africa economic motivations have been ubiquitous and pervasive in prompting and sustaining conflict. At other times economic drivers have exhibited a potential for peaceful cooperation. An understanding of their role and relationship with other forces of change is essential.
Conflict in the Horn frequently has economic impacts across national borders. This paper identifies four major zones of borderland insecurity in which informal trade as much as formal relationships can both sustain conflict and offer potential for post conflict cooperation.
Underlying the various sub-regional conflicts are a number of recurrent economic themes, including access to sea ports, livestock as a basis for livelihoods, energy related issues, the wider impact of localized conflict, drought, land rights and remittances.
The establishment of permanent peace can only be built upon a common set of values reflecting equity, tolerance and an acknowledgment of the potential of traditional institutions in entrenching community cohesion. Only on such a foundation will specific programmes be assured of harnessing those economic drivers necessary for their success.
Read full Report
http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/files/15571_bp1209horn.pdf
===============================
TPLF Troops Launch An Attack In The Zalambesa
02 January 2010
Zalambesa, 2 January 2010- Eritrean Ministry of Information Shabait is reporting that in the early morning hours of January 1st 2010, TPLF soldiers launched successive attacks in the Zalambesa front and were swiftly driven back with 10 of their soldiers killed and two captured, leaving six AK-47 automatic rifles, a machine gun and communication equipments. Source: (Shabait)
http://www.capitaleritrea.com/insight/eritrean-tplf-troops-launch-an-attack-in-the-zalambesa-front/
=====================
Woyanne troops crossed Eritrean border, 10 killed
January 2nd, 2010
Eritrean authorities are reporting that yesterday morning, January 1st 2010, several soldiers under the Woyanne regime in Ethiopia launched attacks on Eritrean forces at Zalambesa.
The Woyanne forces were driven back after 10 of their soldiers were killed and two captured. They left behind six AK-47 automatic rifles, a machine gun and communication equipments, according to Eritrean Ministry of Information's shabait.com.
Meanwhile, Reuters is reporting that two Eritrean rebel groups said on January 1st they have killed 25 Eritrean government soldiers and wounded at least 38 others in ambushes on two military camps.
Rebel spokesman Yasin Mohamed said the attacks by the Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO) and the Eritrean Salvation Front (ESF) rebels were in retaliation for the repression of the Afar minority and others by the government.
"The joint forces earlier today, made a surprise attack at the camp of 13 sub-division of the 2nd brigade at the vicinity of Kokobay, killed 13 and wounded 20 others," Yasin said.
He said a separate attack killed 12 members of an intelligence unit and wounded 18 others in Kermeti area.
Three years ago around the same time, U.S. Ambassador Jendayi Frazer, against the strong advise other U.S. officials, had encouraged the Woyanne junta to invade Somalia, which resulted in the slaughtering of 20,000, and displacement of 2 million Somali civilians. Now, the new Obama Administration Ambassador, Dr Susan Rice, gave another Christmas gift of more bloodshed to the Horn of Africa by pushing through a sanction against Eritrea in the U.N., emboldening the Woyanne junta to engage in another military adventure.
Jendai Frazer is now a highly paid lobbyist for foreign regimes such as Woyanne that brutalize and terrorize their people.
The people of United States must be aware of the crimes being committed by these corrupt, incompetent ambassadors who are creating havoc around the world.
The two reported clashes yesterday and today at the Ethio-Eritrea border are direct results of the U.N. sanction against Eritrea, which was authored by Susan Rice, and submitted by her puppets in Uganda.
http://www.ethiopianreview.com/content/12052
==============================
Interview with Earth Journalism Awards Winner Jaspreet Kindra
02 January 2010
Jaspreet Kindra began her career in India – Bhopal, the provincial capital of Madhya Pradesh, where her first editor was passionate about environmental reporting and encouraged her to write articles focusing on environmental issues.
In 1991 she moved to Delhi and joined the editorial team of an evening paper published by the Hindustan Times. Here she gathered a wealth of experience as a journalist covering issues that ranged from the environment, to HIV/AIDS.
When her family moved to South Africa she began her career again and worked her way from a community newspaper in Durban to South Africa’s leading daily publication “The Mail and Guardian”, where her first assignment was to cover the African National Congress. She now lives in Johannesburg and couldn’t imagine doing anything other than what she is doing right now. Jaspreet talked via e-mail with capitaleritrea.
Q: Congratulations, you won the Earth Journalism Awards in Copenhagen with a series you wrote for IRIN South Africa. What is your job at IRIN?
A: Thank you. I am IRIN’s focal point for climate change and food security coverage. I write about these issues from a global and regional perspective – from the field and the desk on policy.
Q: Did you ever imagine you’d be winning a journalism award with a series about climate change in Eritrea?
A: No I did not. I heard about the award many months after the Eritrea trip and wasn’t even going to enter it. However, only after IRIN’s marketing person insisted that I should participate I applied minutes ahead of the closing time on the last day.
Q: How many online votes did you get out of the total and does the award come with a monetary incentive?
A: I actually have no idea about the number of votes I got in the end. The award did not come with any monetary incentive.
Q: You said you chose Eritrea because it is a very under-reported country. Are there any other reasons?
A: I liked the fact that Eritrea’s environment officials were so proactive and I was amazed to discover that Eritrea was already tapping wind power. I was curious – wanted to find out what this country with very little financial resources had managed to do.
Q: How would you describe Eritrea?
A: Eritreans are some of the most warm, friendly and resilient people I have ever come across. It is a tough terrain with some tough people. I also discovered how beautiful the Red Sea coastline is – it has a tremendous potential as a tourist destination – the untouched unspoilt beaches…though it was incredibly hot.
Q: “Reaping the wind” is the winning story in your series. Personally, what is your favourite story in the series?
A: I like all of them enormously. But I guess `Reaping the wind’ and `Water on their minds’ because I got to visit those areas I wrote about.
Q: What was your experience with the local fishermen at the Red Sea coast line?
A: Wonderful people! Very resilient and extremely hospitable. The fishermen were very open and shared their lives without any prompting. I am really grateful to them for sharing their lives with me. I think sleeping out in the open on the cots close to the sea was probably one of the highlights of my trip. It gave me a sense of their relationship with the sea and comprehend what one of the fishermen said: “The sea is everything to us”. And the food was great by the way.
Q: You mentioned that it’s only the National Fisheries Corporation that buys the fish at very low rate or else in the bigger markets of Yemen. What changes do you think would the wind turbines bring to the livelihoods of the Afar tribe in the area unless there are other market opportunities?
A: From what I understand from the fishermen, if they had access to cold storage facilities– they could access markets in other towns and even the capital, Asmara. At the moment they have to get rid of their catch at the nearest market. The fact that they are unable to access bigger markets also acts as a disincentive to catch bigger loads of fish.
Q: You also stated that ‘’Eritrea could sustainably harvest around 70,000 metric tonnes of fish annually, but the current catch is around 13,000 tonnes, according to the government’s environment department.’’ What are the measurements for this figures to be sustainable?
A: These are figures I sourced from the government. I assume they would have taken all the sustainability indicators into account to come up with the figure.
Q: What are the goals of the award and what would one expect after this – is there possibility where the international body could put some efforts to help the society to develop what they already have started?
A: I hope the award by highlighting certain stories – well, speaking for the adaptation award – I hope the Eritrean story will inspire other LDCs/ communities to become proactive about their future living with an even more erratic climate.
Q: What are your future plans?
A: I hope to continue to highlight efforts being made by small and poor countries in dealing with the impact of climate change and food insecurity.
Q: Do you plan to return to Eritrea one day?
A: I hope I do one day to be able to see the impact of the projects I had seen
http://www.capitaleritrea.com/tag/earth-journalism-awards/
=======================
Gov't dismisses projected food security deterioration in 2010
Saturday, 02 January 2010 -By a Staff Reporter
Following this week's Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET) warning of increased huinger, the Ethiopia government rejected the report saying it was not backed by evidence.
Mitiku Kassa, Minister of State for Disaster Risk Food Security Sector under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, told BBC that the report was baseless and contrary to the situation on the ground.
Mitiku said that though 5.7 million people were currently getting food aid, in the country's context there was no hunger or famine. "The situation is not as bad as in recent years," he said, adding that the government was taking action to mitigate the problem.
The network earlier said that poor performance of the June to September rains has resulted in below-normal harvests in meher-cropping areas as well as poor water availability and pasture regeneration in northern pastoral zones.
"This, combined with two consecutive poor belg cropping seasons (March-May), high staple food prices, poor livestock production, and reduced agricultural wages, is expected to drive elevated food insecurity over the coming six months".
It also said that areas of particular concern are eastern marginal cropping areas in Tigray, Amhara, and Oromia, pastoral areas of Afar and northern and southeastern Somali region, Gambella region, and most low-lying areas of southern and central SNNPR.
“In most areas of the country, food insecurity during the first half of 2010 is projected to be significantly worse than during the same period in 2009. However, improved food aid distribution and trade flows, along with recent rainfall, will benefit pastoral populations in southern and eastern Somali region,” it added.
Food security in eastern marginal cropping areas will likely deteriorate even further between July and September 2010. Overall, humanitarian assistance needs are expected to be very high, according to the network.
Meanwhile, the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO) has raised a red flag over the worsening food security situation in the Horn of Africa.
Karel De Gucht, European Commissioner in charge of development and humanitarian aid, attributes the disastrous situation to the terrible potential of climate change.
"Large parts of the Horn of Africa have had less than 75 percent of normal rainfall last year, having already endured a series of severe droughts. The population can no longer cope with such extreme and protracted hardship which often comes on top of conflict situation. As a result, more than 16 million people desperately need help," he said in a statement released by ECHO.
In Ethiopia, ECHO reports indicate with several consecutive crop failures, the nutritional situation in the country has deteriorated badly and is expected to worsen further.
Initial optimism occasioned by forecasts of El Niño rains were thwarted when November proved largely dry. El Niño refers to a periodic warming of temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, far from East Africa's shores but with impacts on the country's rainfall and weather patterns.
Samuel Mwangi, acting assistant director of Kenya's national weather forecasting services, explains that El Niño has been linked with greater rainfall during the annual "short rains" in East Africa between October and December.
ECHO warns that if the December rains are below average, parts of Kenya may suffer irreparable damage.
ECHO regional information officer Daniel Dickinson told IPS, "In the face of the unfolding drought situation, ECHO is providing 50 million euros in humanitarian aid to vulnerable drought-affected people in Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda. The rains have failed and people have exhausted the coping mechanisms which they had and urgently need help."
Kenya's minister for special programmes, Naomi Shaban, issued a similar warning in mid-December over the worsening food security situation across the country.
Speaking as she flagged off relief food worth $80,000 donated by Telkom Kenya and World Vision Kenya, Shaban said ten districts across the country are facing an imminent crisis in relation to food insecurity.
"Unfortunately, the country has experienced another season of failed rains which is expected to increase the current levels of food insecurity. Although Kenya's food security is still on the borderline, many districts are at risk of sliding into an acute food and livelihood crisis. This situation is made worse by high food prices," Shaban explained.
http://en.ethiopianreporter.com/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2102&pop=1&page=0&Itemid=26
============================
WFP says food insecurity continues in various zones
Tuesday, 29 December 2009
By Melaku Demissie
The November food security update from the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET) and WFP indicates that food insecurity persists in the eastern marginal cropping areas of the country, including southern and south eastern Tigray, North and South Wollo, Waghamera and North Shewa zones (Amhara) and East and West Hararghe zones (Oromia).
According to a weekly update of the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the situation is stable in the western half of the country with the exception of Gambella Region, where the poor performance of the 2009 belg and kiremt rains has left many woredas food insecure, affecting fish availability and flood recession agriculture.
Furthermore, the meher harvest is anticipated to be below-normal as a result of the late onset, erratic performance and early termination of the kiremt rains in some areas. Prices of cereals in different parts of the country have begun to decline with the start of meher harvest.
WFP notes that seasonal rains have stopped early in some pastoral areas, including in Oromia and Somali regions, marking a very early start to the dry season. In parts of Somali Region, the dry season (jilaal began approximately six weeks earlier than normal, with pocket areas in Afder, Shinile, Jijiga and Warder requiring water trucking.
The Ogaden Welfare and Development Association (OWDA), with financial support from UNICEF, will commence water trucking in Bokh and Geladi woredas (Warder). MSF Holland is currently trucking water to 19 villages in Warder woreda and plans to extend the intervention until January 2010.
The Disaster Prevention Preparedness Bureau (DPPB) discontinued water trucking operations to close to 12,000 people in Guradamole, Harshin, Warder, Bokh and Aisha woredas at the end of November due to financial constraints.
In the lowland areas of Bale, Borena, Guji, East and West Hararghe zones (Oromia), water shortages also continue; the situation is acute in Midhaga and Fedis woredas in East Hararghe zone. Water trucking has not resumed since DPPB stopped its operation in the woredas last month due to financial constraints.
WFP also reports that unseasonal rains continue to fall in isolated parts of the country. Although the rains are replenishing water sources and rejuvenating pasture, they could damage crops that are ready for harvesting in the lowland areas. FAO reports that, in Afar, heavy wind and rains resulted in localized flooding that had damaged houses, crops and grazing lands in Berhale and Kobena woredas on 11 December.
AWD update
According to official reports from the Ministry of Health (MoH), 487 cases of Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD) and three deaths (a case fatality rate of 0.62 percent) were reported from Oromia (Arsi, West Arsi, Bale, West Hararghe and Jimma) and SNNPR (Wolayita, South Omo, Gedio and Silti) between 7 and 13 December. Two cases of AWD were also reported in Addis Ababa, both from pilgrims who had traveled back from Bale (Oromia).
The Oromia Regional Health Bureau and partners have developed an AWD response plan, focusing on major response areas, including coordination, case management, surveillance, hygiene and sanitation promotion and communication.
WHO continues to provide technical support to the regions to strengthen surveillance, the early warning system, assessment of AWD response and outbreak investigation, and is providing on-the-job training for health workers to improve the quality of AWD case management.
A total of 35 health workers in SNNPR were trained on case management and surveillance. WHO also provided two diarrhoeal kits each to SNNP and Oromia and is providing technical and financial support to the Oromia Regional Health Bureau to mitigate the potential spread of AWD in the upcoming religious gathering at Kulubi (Dire Dawa Administration).
Nutrition update
The Out-patient Therapeutic Programme (OTP) rollout continues in hotspot woredas of Amhara, Oromia, Tigray and SNNPR. UNICEF reports that the national report completion rate for admissions into Therapeutic Feeding Programmes (TFP) remains low, with only 39 per cent of reports received as of October 2009.
According to the reports, the performance of TFP is well above standards, with 85 percent recovery rate, low mortality rate (0.6 per cent) and a very low defaulter rate (3 percent). Meanwhile, joint TFP assessments continue in Oromia: a joint assessment team comprising the regional health bureau, zonal health department, woreda health office, CARE, WHO and UNICEF is currently in Gemechis woreda, West Hararghe zone.
TFP assessments are yet to begin in Amhara and SNNPR. Meanwhile, potential gaps in the response are being reported from Gambella Region, where the region’s capacity to respond to nutrition emergencies through TFPs is limited, and Afar, where TFP coverage by partners is low, with only nine woredas out of 43 offering TFP services.
Nutritional assessments are ongoing in hotspot areas. Save Children UK, in collaboration with the Oromia regional and woreda authorities, has started standard nutrition assessments in Moyale and Arero woredas in Borena zone (Oromia).
IMC is planning to undertake monitoring surveys in Boroso Sorie (SNNPR) and Fedis (Oromia). Meanwhile, UNICEF reports that a health and food security rapid assessment is being conducted in South Omo zone (SNNPR) to identify response needs amid reports of high food insecurity due to acute and prolonged drought in several woredas.
http://en.ethiopianreporter.com/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2071&pop=1&page=0&Itemid=26
========================
Rains reviving pasture, water resources in Oromia lowlands
Saturday, 02 January 2010
By Melaku Demissie
The latest World Food Programme (WFP) weekly report revealed that the unseasonal rains are benefiting recovery of range lands, water sources and development of late planted crops such as chickpea, haricot beans, sweet potatoes in some parts of SNNP, Oromia, Tigray, Afar and Amhara regions. In lowland areas of Oromia (Bale, Guji and Arsi zones) the rains are rejuvenating pasture and water sources, the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.
In its weekly update OCHA said that in most highland and midland areas of the region, meher crop harvest is being completed. In SNNPR, many woredas have received unseasonal rains that contributed in improving food security situations, except in Burji and Amaro Special Woredas, where significant meher crop loss was reported.
In Tigray, WFP reports that rains were received in Emba and Enderta woredas, while dry weather conditions prevail in most parts of the region.
Rains have also been reported in Zone 1 and 4 of Afar Region, while chronic water deficits continue in Elidar, Kori, Bidu and Erebti woredas. In Amhara, rains were reported in southern and eastern zones that benefited late planted crops.
Meanwhile, the seasonal rains have stopped in Gambella and Benishangul-Gumuz regions. Water and pasture are available in both regions, resulting in good physical condition of livestock. However, preliminary meher reports indicate that the meher crops performance is very poor.
The Somali Region Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Bureau November update indicates that the food security situation during the month has been normal, following the early onset and ‘near adequate’ performance of the deyr rains.
Terms of trade have become favorable for pastoralists as their purchasing power has improved due to increased market price and demand for livestock with the Hajj season and the opening of livestock trade market with Saudi Arabia.
The report also highlights that the abrupt cessation of the rains in mid-October, which was supposed to have extended until December, is likely to make the improvements short-lived.
Meanwhile, the Government-led seasonal multi-agency needs assessment (meher ) has been completed and the teams are finalizing data compilation. The assessment result is expected to form the basis for 2010 needs that will be compiled in the Humanitarian Requirements Document.
Resource allocation, stock update
WFP reports that the seventh round (December 2009) of food allocation was completed for Amhara and Oromia regions, while requests have been submitted from Beneshangul-Gumuz, SNNP, and Tigray.
WFP indicates that confirmed relief resources are adequate to meet needs for the first quarter of 2010 and part of the second quarter, considering available resources from the Joint Emergency Operation Programme (JEOP).
Additional resources are, however, required to ensure timely relief assistance until June 2010. In addition, resources for the Targeted Supplementary Feeding (TSF) programme are short to meet requirements for the remainder of 2009, indicating that there will be no carry-over stock into 2010.
Food rations for relief assistance have been distributed at incomplete rations since June 2008, leading communities to resort to other coping mechanisms, notes WFP.
The latest WFP post-distribution monitoring survey results indicate that communities resort to desperate and negative coping mechanisms such as reduced food intake, selling livestock, migration, burning charcoal and selling firewood.
Meanwhile, current stocks at Ethiopian Food Security Reserve Administration (EFSRA) stand at 140,103 MT, while WFP outstanding repayment to EFSRA amounts to 32,000 MT, as of 16 December 2009.
Considering both committed and non-committed stocks as of 17 December 2009, DRMFSS reported in-country relief stocks total 53,331 MT and safety net stocks amount to 2,214 MT. As of 15 December 2009, WFP in-country committed and non-committed stocks stand at approximately 50,199 MT of mixed commodities in the various warehouses around the country.
AWD update
According to official reports from the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), 233 cases of Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD) with no death were reported from Oromia (Arsi, West Arsi, Bale, West Hararghe and Jimma) and SNNPR (Wolayita, South Omo, Hadiya, Sidama and Silti) between 13 and 20 December 2009.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF continue to provide financial and technical assistance to the regions to manage and control the outbreak. The Oromia Regional Health Bureau with support from UNICEF, WHO, Merlin and MSF Belgium developed a response plan.
The plan has been shared with partners to facilitate coordinated response. A team from the RHB comprising IEC (Information Education and Communication), public and environmental health experts and a UNICEF communication staff are in
Kulibi (East Hararghe) to work on prevention activities including, AWD awareness creation campaign and improvement of water and sanitation facilities.
In response to AWD cases in SNNPR, UNICEF sent emergency WASH supplies, including 540,000 sachets of Bishan Gari, 6,000 bottles of water guard for water treatment at household level and five drums of calcium hypochlorite for water treatment at community level. These supplies enable more than 24,000 households to access potable water for one month.
In addition, for the upcoming pilgrimage at Debrelibanos (Oromia) and Lalibela (Amhara), regional bureaus supported by partners are undertaking AWD prevention activities in health, communication, water, sanitation and hygiene sectors.
http://en.ethiopianreporter.com/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2105&pop=1&page=0&Itemid=1
|
