Tigray Emergency Coordination Center Operational Update. 03 March 2023

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2 years ago

March 3, 2023

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This report was issued by the Regional Emergency Coordination Center of Tigray on March 03, 2023. It includes updates from the following clusters:

This publication has not been available for the past two weeks.

Cluster Updates:

Food Security

[DB Note] The ECC reports food distribution as of Mar 02, while the Food Cluster’s last reporting week is Feb 22. The differences between the total distribution in the ECC report and Food cluster report suggest that the next food cluster report will show another strong week for food distribution overall (likely in Mekelle); but a continued lack of progress in the Northwest zone. The ECC data should be consider preliminary.
Food distribution remains blocked by the presence of armed forces in nearly every zone. Woredas affected include Irob, Zala Anbesa, Egela, Gulo Mekeda, Dima, May Tsebri, Tahtay Adiyabo, Tselemti, Ofla, and Zata.
As of Mar 2, the dispatch of food is reportedly 91% complete (JEOP 99% and WFP 79%); distribution is 49% complete (JEOP 64% and WFP 27%)
Need to move from round-based system to monthly distribution.
Key challenges include overwhelming demand (particularly for IDPs); lack of safe and unfettered access; lack of basic services; lack of local government structure; inability to transport cash, and ability to sustain food distribution through the upcoming lean season.
Multiple factors and conditions necessitate maintaining current caseloads.
New food security assessment appears to be mostly completed with the exception of inaccessible areas. Preliminary findings are expected early next month.

Logistics Cluster

[DB Note] Access into the Northwest Zone from Mekelle has been extremely challenging lately.
Significant amount of food entered in the past two weeks, but most of it went to Mekelle (25,000 MT) and very little into the Northwest Zone (3,347 MT)
MSF was about to deliver a significant amount of medical supplies and other non-food items to Shire.
All agriculture and nutrition cluster delivery went to Mekelle.

Nutrition Cluster

[DB Note:] GAM rate recorded in children appears to meet one criterion for famine (30% GAM)
30% GAM rate in children
63.2% GAM in Pregnant/Lactating women.
Nearly 5,000 children admitted for Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) in the past two weeks; 143 in-patient.
Shortfalls in nutritionally fortified food and supplements across the board.
Challenges include access near border areas; increased global prices for nutrition supplies; looted and destroyed health facilities.

Health Cluster

[DB Note:] Deaths during famine are largely due to disease, rather than just starvation. Surviving something like malaria, cholera, diarrheal diseases, COVID-19 is much more severe when people are malnourished.
Alarming number of new malaria infections (currently in a minor transmission season)
Major health facilities still inaccessible in Eastern, Northwestern, and Southern zones.
Significant delivery by the WHO (120mt of medical supplies), smaller deliveries from other agencies.
Challenges include lack of anthrax vaccines, lack of Chemotherapy drugs and supplies, no salaries for healthcare workers, and inaccessible heath facilities in Irob, Tahtay Adiabo, Raya Alamata, Ofla, and elsewhere.

WASH Cluster

[DB Note:] The issues with Water and Sanitation create a dangerous vulnerability to water-borne diseases like Cholera.
4.7 million people have no access to safe water and are exposed to waterborne diseases.
1.56 million people prioritized for sanitation services (living >100 per latrine)
Human waste pollution is a major concern.
72% of water supply systems are damaged, 76% of water points at health facilities, 63% of water points at schools.
Every weekly WASH indicator missed: Access to durable water solutions (75%), access to trucked drinking water (61%), lifesaving WASH items (64%), access to sanitation facilities (73%)
Challenges include lack of supplies and equipment; lack of government structure; lack of funding; high level of demand.

Education Cluster

[DB Note] Goal to reopen schools appears to be unobtainable.
Some ad-hoc education services are happening in population centers.
Schools plan to reopen by April, 2023
170 Schools are still being used as IDP hosting sites.
They missed a very low target for school food programs (Target: 5,000; Actual: 3,903)
Challenges include delayed return of IDPs, limited supplies, lack of coordination with major aid groups, and mine/UXO clearance

Shelter/NFI, CCCM, and Protection Clusters

[DB Note] There does not appear to be any consensus on how many people are currently displaced in Tigray, which makes effective response impossible. Current estimate is 2.5 million.
48,199 households and 184,586 IDPs are living in Mekelle.
Challenges include aid access in hard-to-reach areas, limited supplies and services across all zones, lack of local administrative structure for coordination.
Major IDP hosting site in Shire was abandoned in October 2022 when the army came through, it appears to be functional again and expanding. Plans are in place to relocate IDPs in Shire from schools to the camp.
Spontaneous returns have been observed, mainly from Adigrat and Mekelle due to a lack of aid services at IDP sites.
Food distribution across all IDP sites is minimal. Malnutrition concerns are particularly high for people with special needs.
High demand for assistive devices for persons with disabilities in Abi-Adi and Mekelle. Plan was to provide 120 devices, but only 6 were distributed.
3,000 victims of UXO/Mines need medical assistance and cannot get it do to lack of services and supplies.
Lack of dignity kits for women and girls (Target: 2,366; Actual Reach: 1,407); Next week’s target has been reduced to 1025.
GBV partners have limited presence in Tigray, no supplies or resources.

Duke Burbridge has summarized the report.

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