Good Rains Lead to Better Food Security in Parts of Ethiopia
However, U.N. agency says southern Somali region continues to deteriorate
Dollo Ado refugee transit facility in Ethiopia
Kim Lewis
Last updated on: October 31, 2011 8:00 PM
In Ethiopia, good rains are leading to improved food security.
Harvests are expected to be good in the lowlands, including the pastoralist areas of the south and southeast and parts of southern-central and northern-central Ethiopia, said Judith Schuler, a representative of the World Food Program (WFP).
“But then in other areas like the southern Somali region, they did not have a lot of rains. The rains have been very poor and the food security situation has deteriorated,” said Schuler.
She said when the rains finally did come they were very erratic and posed a problem for humanitarian assistance, especially in the Dollo Ado refugee camp.
“The humanitarian plane was not able to land, which prevented us from bringing in necessary humanitarian assistance and also humanitarian workers.
When we wanted to bring some of the humanitarian goods such as food to the different camps, trucks were actually stuck on the road,” said Schuler.