6 March 2008
Addis Ababa — The United Nations on Wednesday called for $4 million (ETB 32.4 million) to help over one million people suffering from drought in Ethiopia's Somali and Borena regions.
"More than one million people are currently facing critical water shortages due to poor consecutive seasonal performances in 2007 coupled with the current dry season," the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its weekly report.
The UN agency said the money was needed to fund water, sanitation, health, livestock and agriculture programmes for a period of six months.
"The Response plan aims to mitigate the impacts of drought due to poor consecutive seasonal performance in 2007 coupled with the current dry season," the UN agency added.
So far, Ethiopia's military has dispatched 23,156 tonnes of food to five zones in the remote and arid Somali region, along the Horn of Africa nation's border with Somalia, the statement said.
The United Nations is also seeking money to help fight water shortages for people and livestock in Borena, part of the Oromia region.
Measles outbreaks had also been reported in parts of Oromia, OCHA said.
OCHA said approximately 1,430 suspected cases have been reported, out of which 1,201 are laboratory confirmed.
It said most of the confirmed cases - 1,135 - were reported from Guji zone in Oromiya region.
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