By Mulumebet Asfaw
It was extremely gratifying for me to stir a lot of controversy with my last article on dechasa (welfare) addiction and its consequences. The issue at stake, being a thorny one that pricked the sensitivities of many especially those who have been deliberately caught by the benefit trap indefinitely, all the uproar and furore was understandable. As far as I am concerned, I have achieved my goal and set the agenda for sincere discussion on such an issue which has long been consigned as a taboo that nobody dares to talk about.
Let me make it clear from the outset once again that my criticism is by no means directed towards those who legitimately claim benefits as a result of some misfortunes. My criticism has targeted only those who have been deliberately avoiding opportunities so that they would stay on welfare for the rest of their lives without contributing anything valuable to make a real difference to themselves and others. Throughout this article, it must be noted that I have used the quantifier “some” to avoid the risk of making gross generalizations.
I have heard so many great sermons and moral teachings in Ethiopian churches in the Diaspora but I have never heard a preacher challenging the moral decadence attributable to welfare swindling, the resultant lack of work ethics, loss of direction and the distorted purpose of living in exile seeking a “better” life. If someone from your church catches you eating chicken on a Friday, your sin quickly becomes the talk of the whole congregation, some of whom even dare to share their benefit swindling techniques to others including conning benefit officers into believing that they are disabled or mentally retarded so that they would be guaranteed a place on the benefit system for life. Unfortunately, there are some who feel that their pathetic way of existence is a badge of honour to brag about. Surprisingly there are even those who earnestly believe that God is helping them in their dubious endeavours despite the widely known biblical adage which goes like: “He who doesn’t work does not eat.”
In spite of the fact that some supported my initiative to bring up the issue, there were equally resentful and suspicious views. Some even thought that I might be a Weyane cadre who is out to destroy the reputation of my fellow countrymen who are tactfully stuck in the welfare system. As a matter of fact, those who concocted such a conspiracy theory didn’t know the fact that I hold Weyane cadres and spies who are also artful benefit swindles with utmost contempt. This is because of the fact that they are the ones who are bankrolling the Meles regime with their money laundering businesses that stretch from Europe to North America. They spy on innocent Ethiopians, get paid by Weyane, drive their minibuses and run their businesses and yet you find them living rent free and claiming all sorts of benefits as expert freeloaders and free riders. Some of them are children and close relatives of high ranking officials of the Meles regime and its business associates who bogus refugees milking the nation at the detriment of the hunger stricken people of Ethiopia. Even Meles Zenawi’s London-based relatives, including his sister, are said to be expert benefit swindlers in spite of the fact that their man has been robbing Ethiopia for nearly three decades, as leader of a criminal ethnic syndicate called the Tigray Peope’s Liberation Front. This very ethnic front is an expert welfare cheat as it created a repressive kleptocracy propped up with foreign aid as the whole aid economy, which is said to grow by tenfold every year, survives on beggary.
Contrary to the suspicions of the conspiracy theorists who have gone as further as theorizing that I was motivated by envy, God knows what for, the main reason why I ventured out to speak loudly against deliberate welfare cheating is due to its long term impact among Ethiopians who have lost their sense of pride, purpose, direction and self-confidence. Let us assume that Ethiopia is liberated and the Diaspora is needed to reconstruct Ethiopia. Can the large army of benefit swindlers who have preferred to dodge work and education contribute anything valuable with their corrupt experience? Doubtful!
Before wading deeper into murky waters, let me praise those who have changed their lives through hard work and determination. Unlike the artful dodgers, there are a large number of Ethiopians who have started from the bottom to fulfil their dreams and made their way up the ladder of success. These are the kind of Ethiopians that can take home their valuable skills, experience and know-how to build a new Ethiopia that we will all be proud to call a country. They are well prepared to be trusted and make a difference as they know the value of independence that must be earned through hard work.
Though it is undeniable that immigrants face discrimination, compared to the natives, it cannot be a justification to swindle benefits forever as a way of tackling adversities. For the majority of able bodied Ethiopians caught up deliberately in the welfare system, there are some simple escape routes that can help many get out of the terrible dependency syndrome and declare independence as well as dignity.
Right attitude
Many Ethiopians in exile suffer from attitudinal problems that they imported from our backward culture. The worst attitudinal problem is lack of respect for all kinds of work. It is a shame for some Ethiopians to be seen in public doing blue collar and less privileged jobs. But these compatriots never feel ashamed to live at the expense others. There are even those who choose jobs without having the necessary skills and qualifications to their dream jobs. How can they fulfil their dreams without studying and working as hard as they possibly can?
Another misconception widely held among benefit cheats is that they feel certain that they would remain better off on welfare benefits than working legally, pay bills and taxes. To some extent that may be true, but this can go wrong in the long term. This is due to the fact that those who do not get qualifications and job experience become more and more marginalized from mainstream society. That would in turn make them disadvantaged as they cannot compete well in the job market without work experience and qualifications. So having the right attitude is the first step to escape from the welfare trap that kills the inner energy of any able bodied fellow Ethiopians who have deliberately surrendered their self-confidence to dependency syndrome.
It is ridiculous to see some Ethiopians engaged in hard fought fashion, furniture and car shows as well as wedding and birthday extravaganza while they are intently trapped in the welfare system, the prerequisite of which is supposed to be their claims of being poor and dispossessed.
Self-belief
As mentioned above, self-belief and self-confidence cannot be guaranteed when people adopt a self-defeatist attitude. Those who have lost their self-belief never believe that they have untapped potential that must be unlocked to their own good and the society at large. Therefore, self-confidence is an important asset that should not be compromised and sold out to welfare dependency that saps out one’s self-beliefs and inner strength.
Hard work
From Japan to Taiwan, from Singapore to Israel, from America to Europe, there is one dominant factor that has created a wider gap between affluent and poor nations. The level of hard work in the most affluent nations is incredible. While some of us spend hours making rounds of coffee smelling aromatic smokes of incense and backbiting our neighbours and friends, there are many around the world that have their coffee rushing to work or inventing something new. One can imagine how anyone with a lot of time to waste loses out because they are on welfare benefits with no significant experience and skills. Can they truly believe in hard work even if they work in the black labour market without securing their rights and dignity? The answer is a resounding no as such a belief entails the drive for success and the sweetness of honest gains.
Education
It would be stating the obvious to declare that education is a key to unlock our potentials. That being a universally accepted fact every society invests heavily on education. Every able bodied Ethiopian who lives in the Diaspora must aspire to get a qualification and skills. Those who are unable to be successful academically can do vocational qualifications. Professionals qualified in vocational skills like plumbing, electrical installations, vehicle maintenance, beauty therapy, hairdressing, social care, child care etc. are high in demand in many countries. The majority of Ethiopians who have completed secondary schools are able to gain vocational qualifications provided they have the determination to succeed. Why is it that some have never been to schools and colleges in their countries of refuge while they have been sitting comfortably on welfare? Can they legitimately complain about discrimination and other forms of disadvantages? Not at all!
Language
For the majority of Ethiopians language is a barrier that holds them back from being successful in exile. Those who live in Anglophone countries, like the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, have a relative advantage. But one should not discount the fact that in the majority of schools in Ethiopia, English is not taught properly. The majority of students, who even graduate from universities, may not have conversed in English until they “finish” their studies even if the medium of instruction in post-primary schools is said to be English. It is therefore imperative to learn languages seriously so as to integrate and succeed in foreign countries. There are some Ethiopians who think that it much better to speak in broken English and miscommunicate with native speakers rather than being seen around language schools.
Morality
The bases of morality, whether religious or not, are values and actions which have been widely accepted and endorsed as rightful and righteous. Being on welfare benefits with intent to cheat cannot be accepted as righteous by any moral or legal standards. Unless those who have been intently swindling benefits are making efforts to rectify their mistakes by working harder and earning their living in stead of being dependent on those who work hard and pay taxes, they find no moral excuse to challenge a burglar or a pickpocket. This may appear outrageous but the burglar or the pickpocket may also say it is difficult to work hard, pay tax and bills. “Why can’t I seek a shortcut to get better off?”
Success comes with pain
Unless one wins a lottery or inherits wealth that someone else has made, prospering in the right way has always been difficult. As the saying goes, success usually comes with pain. In stead of fending off criticism against welfare cheats and swindlers, we have to convince ourselves and children that working hard is the most important escape route from dependency and despondency, not only in exile but also back home where the regime seems to be helplessly addicted to foreign aid. If such a comment appears to be offensive, let it be. After all this is a legitimate discussion based on legitimate observation.
As a final note, I would like to conclude by calling on my fellow Ethiopians to continue the debate. I firmly believe that we need to have honest discussions on many thorny issues. I rest my case on welfare swindling and make a promise to come back with another upfront comment on some thorny issues. In the meantime, so long!
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The writer can be reached at [email protected]
By Peter Heinlein, VOA
Listen (MP3) audio clip
Ethiopia’s ruling party [Woyanne] appears headed for a massive victory in local and parliamentary by-elections being held across the country over the next two Sundays. VOA’s Peter Heinlein in Addis Ababa reports the opposition is crying foul, and the largest opposition party is boycotting.
Days before the voting is set to begin, the main opposition United Ethiopian Democratic Force (UEDF) said it was withdrawing, and urged voters to stay away from the polls. That sets the stage for the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) to win big majorities on local councils, giving them significant influence in crucial parliamentary elections two years from now.
In a VOA interview, UEDF Party chairman Beyene Petros said his party decided to boycott after determining the vote was rigged in the ruling party’s favor.
“This is not an election,” he said. “This is a farce drama. OK, if it is an election, democratic multi-party election, who are they competing against?”
Beyene says the ruling EPRDF has registered nearly four million candidates for local councils, while the electoral board disqualified the vast majority of opposition candidates. He says the disqualifications create the conditions for establishment of one-party rule in Ethiopia.
“This is a single party dominant system,” he added. “That’s what they want to put in place. We have to struggle to change the system along the way, but this time around, let them have it alone.”
The head of the EPRDF Organization and Political Bureau, Bereket Simon, scoffed at the idea that there is any attempt to rig the elections, or to intimidate the opposition. Bereket told VOA the electoral board had registered everyone who had come with the proper credentials. He said the failure of some opposition parties to register candidates was an indication of what he called ‘an unhealthy attitude’ toward the local election process.
Another senior opposition figure Bulcha Demeksa, leader of the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement, said his party had decided to stay in the election, but only because dropping out would fuel separatist forces in Ethiopia’s heavily-populated Oromo region. He says opposition parties are facing extinction in the face of a determined ruling party onslaught.
“I also see opposition is going to maybe die at the end,” he said. “I cannot see how opposition parties can survive with this extremely determined strike by the government and the National Election Board. They cannot survive. No funds. They are completely surrounded by extremely anti-democratic forces.”
Bulcha charged that Ethiopian democracy had taken many steps backward since 2005, when 200 people, mostly opposition activists, were killed in post-election clashes with security forces. Tens of thousands of others were jailed.
Ruling party chief Bereket called the allegation ‘baseless’, and said it is unfortunate that Beyene Petros’s UEDF is boycotting this month’s vote.
Human Rights Watch, however, said Ethiopian government repression of the opposition had largely prevented political competition. The U.S.-based rights group issued a statement Friday saying it is too late to salvage the elections, which it called a “rubber stamp on the EPRDF’s near-monopoly on power at the local level.
By Assta B. Gettu
The Ethiopian Jewish history is not a romantic history like the history of Romeo and Juliet; it is a religious history – a divine message, a revelation from the Almighty God, who purposely brought these children of God from his earthly city – Jerusalem – to Ethiopia almost thousands years ago.
The Ethiopian Jewish history is a well known fact that one does not have to dig deeper to find out the validity of this glorious Ethiopian Jewish history. The history of Ethiopia is the history of the Ethiopian Jewish people. If someone wants to know more about the reality of the Ethiopian Jewish history, one must read the Ethiopian prayer books among many others; one cannot read these prayer books without coming across, many times, these sweet words: “Amlake-Israel” (the God of Israel); also, one should read especially “saatat” the hourly or nightly prayer of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and one can see how many times “the God of Israel” has been mentioned there.
The writer of the article — Digging deeper in Ethiopia for the Jewish story — was dumbfounded when he descried among the “dirty and time-eaten prayer books” a collection of shehita whom he thought that someone had unknowingly “checked in the shehita book” and shipped it to Ethiopia. Could the same thing also be said about the Ark of the Covenant that when King Solomon ordered thousands of Jews to accompany his first Son, Menelik I, to Ethiopia, some of these Jews who were in a hurry because the King’s order was urgent, unknowingly chucked in the Ark of the Covenant and brought it with them to Ethiopia? It is possible it could have happened this way instead of saying that they had stolen the Ark.
I don’t think, according to Anshel Pefeffen, 24 hours is enough to understand and comprehend the over thousands years of Jewish history in Ethiopia; it may take, instead of 24 hours, 24 years to cover this religious message. Of course, it would take less than 24 hours if it were a romantic message, but it is a religious message that can be examined and written by religious people – God’s people only – people inspired by the spirit of God because they are writing about the history of the holy people of the Holy God – the Ethiopian Jews.
One does not need an evidence to connect the Ethiopian Jews to the scattered and cursed branches of the white people of the Israeli Jews; rather, the scattered white Israeli Jews must find evidence that connects them to the true Ethiopian Jews; these white Israeli Jews are the ones who have been contaminated with the gentile world, but the Ethiopian Jews have never been defiled; God has kept them holy, undefiled, and sacred for himself in Ethiopia, a religious country, thanks to the Ethiopian Jews.
The Ethiopian Jews have always been the Ethiopian Jews; they are not a sect, as the author of the article assumes they are; they did not come out of Christianity; in fact, Christianity came out of their religion – Judaism. They have been a big religious Jewish organization with their Ark of the Covenant, the Bible, the Sabbath, and with all the Jewish rituals for thousands of years, and God kept them that way for his own divine purpose.
The author of the article is wrong again when he believes that the Ethiopian Bible is the Kebre Negest; the Kebre Negest is not a holy book; it is a book about the achievements or successes of the Ethiopian kings, and it can be changed or amended whenever a new evidence pops up about a certain king; however, the Ethiopian holy Bible (81of them) cannot be changed; because it is a God-inspired book, written by Godly people and “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training.”
As some people say, including the writer of the article, we cannot say for sure that the Ethiopian Jews as a lost tribe; they have never been lost; they have been living in Ethiopia for thousands of years: they were sent to Ethiopia by the Almighty God for a mission – to bring Judaism, belief in one God – to Ethiopia. While they are living in Ethiopia, they have never forgotten their origin – Jerusalem – and they have always been looking, instead of to Axum Zion, to Jerusalem, and, I hope, those Ethiopian Jews who are now in Jerusalem, are at present looking to the real Jerusalem where St. John in the book of the Revelation describes as the Holy city, the new Jerusalem (21:2). Such hope of the Ethiopian Jews has a religious appeal, not a romantic effect.
To some of us who do not know much about the history of the Ethiopian Jews, the Bete Israel or Ambober in Gondar may seem a very small place, almost insignificant, but we must remember that it is not the smallness of a place that matters but the history of that small place that matters the most. For example, for us Christians, what happened 2,000 years ago in a small place, less significant than any other places in Judea, called Bethlehem is more important than what happened in Germany in World War II. It was for such a small place that the Jewish Prophet Micah prophesied: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (5:2). So, Ambober or Bete Israel is very significant in the history of the Ethiopian Jews, even though what we find today at Ambober, a Jewish village, is only tuckul and old buildings, but one day, I will predict, this abandoned Ethiopian Jewish village will be a Mecca of the Ethiopian Jews.
Eldad Hadani or Rabbi Ovadia Yosef has nothing to do with the Ethiopian Jews whom the Almighty God brought them to Ethiopia from Jerusalem for his won purpose, and no one cares whether these Ethiopian Jews belong to Dan or to Joseph or to Ephraim tribe. We know they are the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and more than that they are the chosen children of God, and that is what it matters. Let the white Israeli Jews find their Dans, Benjimines, Josephs, Calebs, etc. The Ethiopian Jews belong to God only, not to any tribe or sect. Right now, if the white Israeli Jews say to God: “Dear God, we are the only true Jews left on this earth,” and God would tell them: “You are wrong; I have thousands of Jews who have never bowed down to Baal, and these Jews are the Ethiopian Jews.”
I agree with Rabbi Shlomo Amar that many Jews might have been converted to Christianity, and these present Ethiopian Christians may be the descendants of the ancient Jews, and that is why God brought the original Jews from Jerusalem for his divine purpose – Christianity -, and left the other Jews for his other divine purpose to go to Jerusalem and reclaim it as their own old city.
I hope with so many ups and downs, the Operation Moses will continue its religious, not its romantic, duties until all Ethiopian Jews left Ethiopia for Jerusalem, and this divine operation should not be hindered by man-made politics in Israel. It had a good beginning, and I hope it will have a positive ending – all the Ethiopian Jews should be there in Jerusalem, and perhaps after many years may come back to their motherland – Ethiopia – and build a second Jerusalem at Ambober, Gondar.
The Ethiopian Jewish history is not a romantic history like the history of Romeo and Juliet; it is a religious history – a divine message, a revelation from the Almighty God, who purposely brought these children of God from his earthly city – Jerusalem – to Ethiopia almost thousands years ago.
The Ethiopian Jewish history is a well known fact that one does not have to dig deeper to find out the validity of this glorious Ethiopian Jewish history. The history of Ethiopia is the history of the Ethiopian Jewish people. If someone wants to know more about the reality of the Ethiopian Jewish history, one must read the Ethiopian prayer books among many others; one cannot read these prayer books without coming across, many times, these sweet words: “Amlake-Israel” (the God of Israel); also, one should read especially “saatat” the hourly or nightly prayer of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and one can see how many times “the God of Israel” has been mentioned there.
The writer of the article was dumbfounded when he descried among the “dirty and time-eaten prayer books” a collection of shehita whom he thought that someone had unknowingly “checked in the shehita book” and shipped it to Ethiopia. Could the same thing also be said about the Ark of the Covenant that when King Solomon ordered thousands of Jews to accompany his first Son, Menelik I, to Ethiopia, some of these Jews who were in a hurry because the King’s order was urgent, unknowingly chucked in the Ark of the Covenant and brought it with them to Ethiopia? It is possible it could have happened this way instead of saying that they had stolen the Ark.
I don’t think, according to Anshel Pefeffen, 24 hours is enough to understand and comprehend the over thousands years of Jewish history in Ethiopia; it may take, instead of 24 hours, 24 years to cover this religious message. Of course, it would take less than 24 hours if it were a romantic message, but it is a religious message that can be examined and written by religious people – God’s people only – people inspired by the spirit of God because they are writing about the history of the holy people of the Holy God – the Ethiopian Jews.
One does not need an evidence to connect the Ethiopian Jews to the scattered and cursed branches of the white people of the Israeli Jews; rather, the scattered white Israeli Jews must find evidence that connects them to the true Ethiopian Jews; these white Israeli Jews are the ones who have been contaminated with the gentile world, but the Ethiopian Jews have never been defiled; God has kept them holy, undefiled, and sacred for himself in Ethiopia, a religious country, thanks to the Ethiopian Jews.
The Ethiopian Jews have always been the Ethiopian Jews; they are not a sect, as the author of the article assumes they are; they did not come out of Christianity; in fact, Christianity came out of their religion – Judaism. They have been a big religious Jewish organization with their Ark of the Covenant, the Bible, the Sabbath, and with all the Jewish rituals for thousands of years, and God kept them that way for his own divine purpose.
The author of the article is wrong again when he believes that the Ethiopian Bible is the Kebre Negest; the Kebre Negest is not a holy book; it is a book about the achievements or successes of the Ethiopian kings, and it can be changed or amended whenever a new evidence pops up about a certain king; however, the Ethiopian holy Bible (81of them) cannot be changed; because it is a God-inspired book, written by Godly people and “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training.”
As some people say, including the writer of the article, we cannot say for sure that the Ethiopian Jews as a lost tribe; they have never been lost; they have been living in Ethiopia for thousands of years: they were sent to Ethiopia by the Almighty God for a mission – to bring Judaism, belief in one God – to Ethiopia. While they are living in Ethiopia, they have never forgotten their origin – Jerusalem – and they have always been looking, instead of to Axum Zion, to Jerusalem, and, I hope, those Ethiopian Jews who are now in Jerusalem, are at present looking to the real Jerusalem where St. John in the book of the Revelation describes as the Holy city, the new Jerusalem (21:2). Such hope of the Ethiopian Jews has a religious appeal, not a romantic effect.
To some of us who do not know much about the history of the Ethiopian Jews, the Bete Israel or Ambober in Gondar may seem a very small place, almost insignificant, but we must remember that it is not the smallness of a place that matters but the history of that small place that matters the most. For example, for us Christians, what happened 2,000 years ago in a small place, less significant than any other places in Judea, called Bethlehem is more important than what happened in Germany in World War II. It was for such a small place that the Jewish Prophet Micah prophesied: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (5:2). So, Ambober or Bete Israel is very significant in the history of the Ethiopian Jews, even though what we find today at Ambober, a Jewish village, is only tuckul and old buildings, but one day, I will predict, this abandoned Ethiopian Jewish village will be a Mecca of the Ethiopian Jews.
Eldad Hadani or Rabbi Ovadia Yosef has nothing to do with the Ethiopian Jews whom the Almighty God brought them to Ethiopia from Jerusalem for his won purpose, and no one cares whether these Ethiopian Jews belong to Dan or to Joseph or to Ephraim tribe. We know they are the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and more than that they are the chosen children of God, and that is what it matters. Let the white Israeli Jews find their Dans, Benjimines, Josephs, Calebs, etc. The Ethiopian Jews belong to God only, not to any tribe or sect. Right now, if the white Israeli Jews say to God: “Dear God, we are the only true Jews left on this earth,” and God would tell them: “You are wrong; I have thousands of Jews who have never bowed down to Baal, and these Jews are the Ethiopian Jews.”
I agree with Rabbi Shlomo Amar that many Jews might have been converted to Christianity, and these present Ethiopian Christians may be the descendants of the ancient Jews, and that is why God brought the original Jews from Jerusalem for his divine purpose – Christianity -, and left the other Jews for his other divine purpose to go to Jerusalem and reclaim it as their own old city.
I hope with so many ups and downs, the Operation Moses will continue its religious, not its romantic, duties until all Ethiopian Jews left Ethiopia for Jerusalem, and this divine operation should not be hindered by man-made politics in Israel. It had a good beginning, and I hope it will have a positive ending – all the Ethiopian Jews should be there in Jerusalem, and perhaps after many years may come back to their motherland – Ethiopia – and build a second Jerusalem at Ambober, Gondar.
This is all caused by the U.S.-backed invasion of Somalia by the butcher of east Africa, Meles Zenawi.
(The Associated Press) UNITED NATIONS: The humanitarian situation in Somalia is deteriorating faster than expected with the number of people in need of emergency aid increasing from 315,000 to 425,000, the U.N. humanitarian office said Friday, quoting two U.S.-funded groups that monitor food security.
The Nairobi-based Food Security Analysis Unit, which focuses on Somalia and is managed by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, and the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, a lead organization in predicting food security problems in sub-Saharan Africa, also reported that the number of newly displaced people in Somalia increased from 705,000 to 745,000, the U.N. office said.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, known as OCHA, said three key factors contributed to the deterioration: an extremely harsh dry season from January to March with higher temperatures than normal and unusually dry winds, the growing lack of security, and the increasingly high inflation rate.
The most severely affected areas are Galgaduud and Mudug in central Somalia, Hiraan and coastal Shabelle in the south, and pockets in Sool, Nugal and Hawd in the north, OCHA said.
Somalia has not had a functioning government since clan-based warlords toppled dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991 and then turned on each other, sinking the poverty-stricken nation of 7 million into chaos. Its weak U.N.-backed transitional government, supported by Ethiopian Woyanne troops, is struggling to quash an Islamic insurgency, resulting in the deaths of thousands of civilians.
OCHA said the deteriorating security situation all over the country is slowing the delivery of humanitarian aid and affecting the ability of aid agencies to help people in need. It cited clashes between Ethiopian Woyanne-backed government troops and anti-government forces in the past week in many parts of south central Somalia.
In the south central region, it said, the price of locally produced maize and sorghum has increased by 300-400 percent in the last 12 months and the price of imported food including rice and vegetable oil has gone up 150 percent. At the same time the value of the Somali shilling has depreciated by an average of 65 percent.
OCHA reported an outbreak of acute diarrhea in the Dhahar district of Sanaag in northern Somalia caused by contaminated underground water, resulting in 300 cases and 7 deaths since March 10. Diarrhea is now spreading to rural settlements in the district and health authorities are not able to deal with the caseload because of limited staff, it said.
“The situation in Somalia is part of the continuation of unusually dry conditions in the Horn of Africa in general, including Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti and parts of Kenya which are further aggravating food insecurity, water and pasture shortages and outbreaks of drought associated diseases,” OCHA said.
Djibouti has declared a state of emergency due to high rates of malnutrition which exceed the critical threshold of 15 percent, it said.
But OCHA said the “full-blown impact of a drought” will only be felt in certain areas of the greater Horn of Africa in July and August, according to food security analysts and weather forecasters.
