In response to the emergency situation caused by the El Niño weather phenomenon, the World Health Organization (WHO) has deployed a team of experts to work with the WHO Ethiopia Country Office team in coordinating the health response, assessing health impacts and needs, and strengthening disease early warning and outbreak management systems. The WHO Representative for Ethiopia gives overall direction and guidance to the emergency response activities of the newly reorganized emergency response team. 

The El Niño weather phenomenon has triggered drought in large parts of Ethiopia and flooding in others, causing crops to fail. As a result, malnutrition is on the rise and, with it, the population’s vulnerability to disease outbreaks. Malnourished people are both more susceptible to disease outbreaks and suffer more severely when infected. Even normally mild infections can become deadly. Ethiopia has already witnessed outbreaks including dengue fever, acute watery diarrhoea, scabies and meningitis, situations that could possibly worsen with the current weather phenomenon.

The Ethiopian Ministry of Health is showing extraordinary leadership and commitment to the response; redeploying health staff to the worst-affected areas and sending medicines and medical supplies. In fact, the Ethiopian government has provided more than US$200 million of emergency support in 2015.

According to the newly released Humanitarian Requirements Document for Ethiopia, health partners will continue to work together in 2016 to tackle disease outbreaks and ensure those affected can access timely life-saving health care.

The WHO Ethiopia Country Office is sending supplies to address the treatment of severely malnourished children with medical complications, acute watery diarrhea and people with other emergency health needs and also avails technical support to the Government in health emergency response

At global level, the World Health Organization's new Contingency Fund for Emergencies released US$400 000 in early December to respond to malnutrition and disease threats in Ethiopia. This is the Fund’s first disbursement to ensure a rapid response to an emergency.

WHO established the Contingency Fund for Emergencies as part of its ongoing reform of its work in outbreaks and emergencies. The Fund is a replenishable financing mechanism, made up entirely of fully flexible voluntary contributions that are designed to fund the first three months of WHO’s acute emergency response following the onset of a crisis. The Organization aims to maintain a capitalization target of US$ 100 million so it can rapidly respond to emergencies, such as the situation in Ethiopia, to make a real difference.

WHO works with the Ministry of Health and 22 partner organizations to respond to the health needs of 3.6 million people vulnerable to health and nutrition emergencies due to the El Niño weather phenomenon.

For more information, please contact:

Dr Abebayehu Assefa Mengistu
WHO Ethiopia
Non Communicable Diseases Team Leader
Email: %20mengistua [at] who.inttarget="_blank"  
Tel: +251 911 500 324

Or

Loza Mesfin Tesfaye
WHO Ethiopia
Communications Officer
email: tesfayel [at] who.int 
Tel: +251 911 144 194

Photos: WHO Ethiopia/ Loza Mesfin