Afarvänner i Sverige
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Afarvänner i Sverige
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QAFAR PASTORALIST DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION QAFAR DACARSITTO DADALIH EGLA
Update of the Current Drought Crisis and Ongoing development May 5th, 2005 1. Drought update1.1 Rainfall It appears the short rainy season has virtually ceased in Afar Region, in the end relieving drought conditions in much of the region. With the first rains that fell in early March and the eventual rain that came in the latter 10 days of April, Zones 2, 3 and 4 and most of Zone 5 have received above average rains. In Zone 1 rain was less consistent. Sifra and Assaiyta Woredas have good coverage but eastern Mille from Adayto north is still under drought, northern Dubte Woreda and the north and east of Eli Daar Woreda are also dry.
From now on, the season is expected to be extremely hot, fanned by the hot, dry winds of ‘Kamsiin’ (50 days of winds coming in from the Saudi Arabian Peninsular) that often bring dust storms. Then again in July, the main rains of Karma are expected.
1.2 Water and pasture conditions Following the rains mentioned above, it is expected that sufficient pasture will rejuvenate in the vast grazing lands of Zone 1, permitting herdsmen to return from Zone 4 where they have virtually spent the past 2 months trying to redeem their remaining herd. However, the Yeldi grazing plain in southern Mille Woreda will not be able to utilized nor parts around Galaaha and the Mille side of Gor’Ale where significant numbers of cattle normally exist.
1.3 Animal diseases and losses Animal diseases are very apparent in the region and projects assisting in veterinary work are inundated. However, with the appearance of some height of pasture, it can be expected that the transmission and severity will ease off, particularly that of anthrax. In all drought – affected districts, the animals are very weak and storms have killed another wave of the worst affected. As the rainy season passes and the herds return to their home districts, then will the clans reckon on their losses. It cannot be wrong to state that during this drought and mainly since February, herdsmen in Zones 1, 2 and 4 have lost more than 50% of the herd they had. Cattle losses are extreme and in places like Teeru as high as 95% of the herd but across the board, no lower than 60 to 65%. It should also be reckoned that, in order for the Afar herd to regain its former resilience, it will take at least 3 breeding cycles of favorable pasture. 1.4 Animal movement
- Afar cattle moving back from Amhara Region As of April 28th, cattle remaining in the hands of those herdsmen who migrated to save their herds from starving in Mille, Sifra, Uwa and Awra Woredas were marched back into the region. The returning herd was much depleted as many cattle perished in the Chefa Valley or were sold off for 150 to 300 ETB per cow, rather than die, to highland merchants. However, the whole exercise of them grazing in Amharic farmland spanning almost 3 months is a real tribute to the brotherly concern of the Amhara Region who, up till the end, worked with Afar woreda officials to protect the interest of the cattlemen. They had received enormously generous assistance from the farming land-owners around Kamisse, including the Alfora Company who allocated Afar cattle land to graze. In the final month, the regional government fed the migrant families, they received medical care and veterinary assistance. Perhaps due to the infestation of liver fluke in the marshlands of Kamisse however, the cattle still look emaciated.
On the 250 odd kilometer arduous march back into the region, the woreda officials of Mille and Awra, Amhara Region police and APDA banned together to facilitate the spectacular cavalcade of animals, household goods and children etc a safe passage. The local police stopping traffic to allow the straggling cattle through Kambolcha, Bati and the woreda officials and APDA vehicle – lifting women and children into Mille Woreda. Also, with funds contributed, APDA was able to afford the travelers food for the journey.
- Herds moving back from Zone 4 to Zone 1 in the east Again, extensive herds from Zone 1 have spent almost 2 months in and around Teeru Woreda in Zone 4. In the coming couple of weeks, these animals will be moved back to districts in Dubte and Eli Daar Woreda once the pasture has grown adequately there.
1.5 Human health and nutrition In the last month, limited outbreaks of measles have occurred in a number of drought – hit woredas leading to the Bureau of Health, WHO and UNICEF jointly planning to undertake a region-wide measles vaccination campaign in late May. APDA health workers will participate in this, the second such region-wide measles vaccination. Chest infection leading to pneumonia and fresh outbreaks of malaria has also been reported.
As recently as mid-April, DPP &FSB scaled up the relief grain distribution in the worst – affected woredas following a repeated Federal/ regional assessment. In short, human health remains extremely vulnerable to carcass- contaminated water, rising mosquitoes topped with an extended time of well – below need food – basket.
1.6 Ongoing relief activities APDA continues to a) Deliver daily water to thirst unrelieved people in northern Eli Daar and in some sites along the Sardo to Afdeera Road, Dubte Woreda b) Treat animals in Teeru Woreda and advocate for the burning of carcasses c) Provide emergency primary health coverage to needy groups of sanitation help, health education, nutrition and health surveillance and basic treatment d) Assisting the DPP &FSB to assess the situation each 15 days e) Assist the Afar in Assayita Woreda to grow and produce cattle fodder
The organization is completing goat re-stocking to just over 2,000 totally destitute families in Barahale. This also assisted even more families who came with their goats to sell to the project.
Again, APDA anxiously looks forward to assisting other already – identified families with goat re-stocking and still more who face immanent destitution if the remaining few cattle die. For the latter group, APDA will feed these weak cows till they gain strength. 2. Development Update
2.1 Education activities
Currently, there are 5,737 students in the regular mobile literacy/ n on-formal education program being taught by 122 teachers. 477 students have dropped out of learning due to the stresses of drought impact. Nevertheless, remarks from community leaders and others state that the tremendous drought impact leads them to conclude that accessible education for all is indispensable in managing the shocks the Afar pastoral family must endure. APDA is constantly reviewing how to best maintain and improve education accessibility and this includes - Teacher mobility and flexibility. Many teachers went deep into other woredas with their students and students were referred to other students to maintain their learning. - Mobilizing the community toward education. APDA is taking the approach to undertake a 4 months district – wide literacy campaign to launch Afar mobile education in any area for the first time. Currently, two literacy campaigns are in motion: one in northern Awra Woreda using 10 teachers and the second in Konnaba Woreda using 21 teachers (Zones 4 and 2 respectively). Due to the interaction of local leadership and religious leaders in the activity, both campaigns have remarkable numbers of students: Awra 690 students and Konnaba 2,350 students of whom 556 are females. Too, APDA has its music and drama group on tour of these districts emphasizing the message and particularly the message of the benefit household of female education. - Training local leaders. APDA is now teaching local leaders in a 4th woreda (traditional and government), giving them a separate opportunity to learn literacy and numeracy leading on to using a manual specially prepared on ‘development ethics’. These training courses are met with tremendous enthusiasm as it lifts the veil on illiteracy to empowerment for people otherwise hardly understanding their job description. These leaders then become prime advocates for education for all.
Aside from this, with the Bureau of Education, APDA is preparing to provide an annual upgrading training for all program teachers, taking them out of the field for 2 months.
2.2 Primary health activities
Having just completed a training taught jointly by APDA and the Bureau of Health giving 42 health workers the final 3 months of a 6 months course, the actual training curriculum has emerged into a more polished state. Then trained health workers will all get one month refresher/ upgrading training later in the year, this year focusing on simple gynecology and obstetrics.
- Tackling malaria APDA has employed a person specifically to facilitate and monitor the 28 women in the community sewing mosquito nets and is about to receive a UNICEF contribution of insecticide kits to dip the nets. The aim will be to get a minimum of 2,000 treated nets into the community in the next 6 months. APDA is very keen to research with other stakeholders and partners as to how to reduce mosquito breeding in Afar Region.
- Vaccination APDA will assist woredas with the coming measles vaccination campaign and is also planning to perform routine coverage in two specified woredas.
- TBA activities APDA is now advocating that women should only be delivered by trained, equipped and networked TBAs rather than any TBA. To do this, APDA is using its religious contacts as well as the development workers on the ground: health workers, women extension workers and teachers. To take the matter further, a conference on safe motherhood is planned for later in the year.
2.3 HIV & AIDS response activities
The activity linked to ideas and experience gained from the Kambatta people in assisting a society to respond to HIV & AIDS now known as the ‘community conversation’ method is working well in Zone 5. APDA is keen to utilize it in other areas particularly using the traditional structure of Fi’ama whereby Afar normally have a sort of peer-group control on one another. This will allow the community to ‘traditionally legalize’ responses to the HIV & AIDS problem.
The response center as constructed in Logya already meets a tremendous demand from youth in Logya town aside from being the home-base for the organization’s music and drama group.
The music and drama group are currently on an extended tour through Zones 2 and 4 reaching communities who have not previously had this mobilization.
2.4 Cooperative activities
The first animal marketing cooperative APDA has formed and facilitated is now functioning well taking contracts from dealers in Nazareth. The cooperative have been particularly innovative and plan to grow a variety of saleable food crops. A further two cooperatives are in the formative phase.
The women’s cooperatives running mobile shops were necessarily hit by the drought conditions but overall, the concept has consolidated into a very realizable venture.
2.5 Women’s issues
APDA is widening the communities reached in raising discussion on the effects of FGM and traditional marriage without consent of the female as well as reviewing the process with already – established community committees. Each community translates the marriage culture differently and have different entry points on how they perceive the traditions. APDA is looking to mobilize the debate more extensively.
2.6 Announcing a newly – registered local Afar NGO
A group of Afar youth both in the region and in Addis Ababa has joined to form an NGO called ‘Sangeera’ and have the following primary objectives: - Improve the farming technology and output for Afar agro-pastoralists in Assayita Woreda - Mobilize youth toward clear response against HIV & AIDS - Advocate against harmful practices affecting women and girls. |
Last changed: 04 juli 2011 |
