| Since early 2005, Ethiopia has experienced worsening food insecurity, rapidly increasing malnutrition rates, distress migration, and erratic climatic conditions. Field assessments conducted in the spring of 2005 confirmed widespread food shortages and the likelihood that 12 million people are vulnerable as a result of these shortages.
In response to the growing humanitarian concerns, OFDA deployed a DART on May 31, 2005 to coordinate, assess, report, and rapidly respond to increasing needs. The DART focused on enhancing health, nutrition, water and sanitation, livestock, and agriculture interventions, coordinating relief efforts, and targeting assistance. DASP Disaster Response Specialist Ron Libby served for three months as a field officer on the DART. Ron assessed water supply and sanitation systems and monitored OFDA-funded programs, among other activities.
In FY 2005, OFDA provided more than $32.2 million through 3 United Nations agencies and 18 nongovernmental partners to support humanitarian activities in Ethiopia . OFDA’s programs focus on emergency response in the sectors of emergency health, nutrition, food security and agriculture, and water and sanitation, while strengthening the local capacity of early warning and crisis management structures to respond rapidly to crises and mitigate the impact of future disasters. |
