Death By Starvation:
An Update on the Humanitarian Situation inside Oromia
Introduction
As previously reported by OLLAA, the southern regions of Ethiopia are experiencing increasing food insecurity and starvation due to drought, conflict, and other factors. Since OLLAA last examined the effects of the drought on Oromo civilians in April 2022, we have received further updates about the extent of humanitarian needs in Oromia, both from publicly available sources and credible sources on the ground. We are particularly concerned about the latest report that 38,000 people in the Sabaa Borruu district of the Guji zone are currently facing acute starvation. This report will, therefore, provide an update on what is known about the extent of humanitarian need inside Oromia. Taken together, these sources reveal that the Ethiopian government and the international community may be severely underestimating the true extent of humanitarian need across Oromia.
Publicly Available Data
Recent official reports by UN OCHA suggest that at least 8 million individuals throughout the Somali, Oromia, Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples’, and South-West regions of Ethiopia have been affected by the drought, and 2.2 million livestock have died. UNICEF has estimated that 600,000 children will require treatment for severe acute malnutrition by the end of 2022, and the World Food Programme has recently stated that the drought has led to food insecurity for 9.88 million people, including 3.3 million inside Oromia. On July 29th, the head of the emergency relief office in Sabbaa Boruu District in the Guji zone told reporters that at least 12 people had died of hunger in that district so far, and that 38,000 people were “facing acute starvation” in that district alone.
In addition, numerous factors, including the drought and conflict, have led to the internal displacement of countless civilians throughout Ethiopia. Although reports of the total number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the country vary, some have estimated that there were 5,582,000 persons displaced within the country as of March 2022. As of April 2022, the IOM reported that there were 792,686 people displaced inside of Oromia. Shortly after that report was released, in May 2022, the UN OCHA reported that at least 500,000 people had been displaced within western Oromia alone since the start of the year, largely due to “intensified hostilities and inter-communal violence”. Individuals who have been forcibly displaced face particular challenges, and as such, need to be provided with additional protection and humanitarian assistance to ensure that their basic needs are met.
Data from the Ethiopian Government
In addition to the above data, which is publicly available, a credible source on the ground has recently provided OLLAA data from the Ethiopian government regarding humanitarian needs inside Oromia.
Food Security throughout Oromia
According to the data provided to OLLAA, more than 4.5 million people are currently facing a severe food shortage throughout Oromia. Of these, 3.2 million reside in eight zones that are affected by the drought, while the remaining 1.3 million were IDPs and “poor household settlement[s] in western parts” of Oromia. The report notes that the food security situation is especially dire in the East Bale, East Hararghe, West Hararghe, Guji, and West Guji zones, which have faced successive seasons of drought.
They also report that there is a severe shortage of water and animal feed in the East Hararghe, West Hararghe, Borana, East Bale, Guji and West Guji zones, and that these zones, alongside Bale, are experiencing a lack of available pasture, leading to the death of livestock.
Overall, the report posits that the food security issues stem from the drought, instability within Oromia, and the fact that the prices of grain have been increasing throughout the region while livestock prices have been decreasing. This has led to a decrease in the purchasing power of communities, and an increased frequency of food shortages.
Internal Displacement
The data shared with OLLAA also contains an analysis of the needs of individuals who were recently displaced after high profile attacks in West Wollega and Kellem Wollega. According to the report, 24,825 people were displaced in Kellem Wollega, while 4782 people were displaced in West Wollega. The report also detailed the humanitarian assistance that had been provided to these displaced populations by the ICRC and the Ethiopian Federal and Zonal DRMO.
Finally, the report contained an assessment of the humanitarian assistance required for those recently displaced from these areas over a 3 month period:
Flooding
In addition to the drought, there are concerns that occasional heavy rains during July and August may cause flooding across Oromia. Zonal reports are predicting that 865,191 people will be affected by flooding. Of those, 197,494 people are likely to face displacement in 14 zones and 66 woredas across Oromia.
The Risk of Underestimating Humanitarian Needs inside Oromia
While the data above clearly shows that there is great need for humanitarian assistance to be provided throughout Oromia, OLLAA is gravely concerned that the official reports regarding the humanitarian situation inside Oromia may be significantly underestimating the true extent of humanitarian need throughout the region.
Several organizations and members of local communities in southern Oromia have reported to OLLAA that they have been suffering the effects of the drought and food shortages for nearly two years, as many civilians have been unable to farm due to conflict. They further report that neither the Ethiopian government nor any NGO have provided them humanitarian assistance. It is unclear why all of these communities have not been provided with assistance, but we are aware of reports that humanitarian aid has not been delivered to populations in need due to security concerns. Recently, UN OCHA has reported that humanitarian access throughout many parts of Oromia has been “significantly constrained by the ongoing insecurity.” Given the fact that humanitarian access has been cut off to multiple parts of Oromia due to security concerns, it seems likely that organizations tasked with calculating humanitarian needs cannot accurately assess the extent of need in these areas.
In addition, OLLAA has also received a worrying report from an Ethiopian official regarding how the government counts the total number of displaced persons inside Oromia. According to our source, inside Oromia, individuals are only labeled as IDPs during the first six months of their displacement, after that time, they are no longer considered “displaced.” This means that individuals who are still displaced are not being officially counted as IDPs, and therefore they are not provided with the additional humanitarian assistance they need. It also seems likely that these IDPs are not being included in official tallies of IDPs counted by independent organizations, such as the IOM, who are reportedly unable to access large parts of Oromia due to security concerns.
Taken together, these factors suggest that the true level of humanitarian need throughout Oromia may be much greater than what has been officially reported by the Ethiopian government. This presents a real risk to Oromo civilians. If the Ethiopian government and the international community underestimate the needs inside Oromia, the level of humanitarian assistance provided to the region will not be enough to meet the needs of the population, leaving even more Oromos to face food insecurity and starvation.
Conclusion
While there is a growing recognition from the US and the international community of the need to provide humanitarian assistance to drought-affected communities throughout southern Ethiopia, it appears likely that official UN and Ethiopian government reports may be severely underestimating the true extent of need across Oromia. The failure to understand and address the level of humanitarian need across Oromia will not only affect civilians in the region, but may also exacerbate the humanitarian situation throughout the entirety of the country. After all, Oromia produces 57% of the entire country’s wheat supply, and therefore is essential in ensuring that the food security needs of the entire population are met.
It is clear that more needs to be done by the Ethiopian government and the international community to fully assess the needs inside Oromia. OLLAA therefore calls on the international community, including civil society organizations that provide humanitarian assistance, to consider conducting monitoring visits to areas affected by the drought and conflicts throughout Oromia. It is only then that we will be able to develop a full picture of the number of IDPs inside Oromia, as well as the total population facing food insecurity and starvation due to the drought.