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From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Wed Jul 06 2011 - 11:35:00 EDT
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportID=93161
ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: Thousands need aid after volcano eruption
ADDIS ABABA/NAIROBI, 6 July 2011 (IRIN) - Thousands of Ethiopians in Afar
State are facing critical food, water and health gaps almost a month after a
volcano erupted in neighbouring Eritrea's Nabro region, officials say.
The volcano started erupting on 12 June, spewing ash over hundreds of
kilometres, affecting food and water sources as well as air travel in some
parts. The eruption also caused an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.7,
Eritrea's Information Ministry reported in a communiqué.
According to a report from Ethiopia's Afar Disaster Prevention and Food
Security Programs Coordination Office: "The adverse impacts of the volcanic
ash increased reports of livestock mortality, migration, critical water
shortage, human health problems and rising malnutrition among the worst
volcanic affected woredas [districts]: Bidu, Afdera, Erebti, Elidar, Teru
and Kori.
"In Bidu woreda, [the] deaths of 31 persons were reported as a result of the
volcano ash."
At least 68.6 million birr (about US $4 million) is required to respond to
the emergency needs, according to an appeal made by the Afar government,
which said 48,000 people were affected in the Bidu, Afdera, Erebti and Teru
woredas.
Another 167,153 people, in the Elidar and Kori woredas, required monitoring,
according to an emergency assessment team deployed there in mid-June.
However, Ethiopia's federal government said it did not endorse the Afar
regional government appeal and was assessing the situation.
"We have looked at the [appeal] document and I [would] like to make it clear
that it is not a national document and that we have not endorsed it," Aklog
Nigatu, a spokesman at the Agriculture Ministry’s disaster management
agency, told IRIN.
Aklog added that the ministry had no record of casualties, adding that it
was still too early to say how many people had been affected and needed
help.
Mohammed Amin, a nutritionist in Afar, told IRIN: "The dispatched team [of
experts] went deep into the affected areas, up to 10km from [where] the
volcano erupted; food there is [contaminated] by the volcanic ash."
He said residents had been advised not to eat locally produced food in case
of contamination.
The effects of the eruption had increased the vulnerability of the affected
population in the predominantly pastoral region, said the appeal.
[image: '']*The effects of the eruption increased the vulnerability of
the affected population in the predominantly pastoral region*[image: ''] Amid
fears that one of Ethiopia’s largest salt mines in the Afdera area had been
contaminated by the volcanic ash, Aklog said: "Experts, including [those]
from the Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, are going to
examine if the salt production in Afdera is contaminated with toxic
materials so its consumption and exportation can be halted."
*Eritrean response
*
On 5 July, the Eritrean ministry of information
reported<http://www.shabait.com/news/local-news/6248-displaced-nationals-due-to-natural-disaster-are-in-good-health-condition-report>that
Eritrean nationals displaced due to the volcanic eruption and
earthquake were in good health.
Michael Gebrehiwet, head of a ministerial team comprising health, labour and
human welfare staff members, said no communicable disease had been recorded
in the new settlement site of those displaced.
Regarding the impact of the continued emission of dust and smoke, Michael
said this did not pose a serious health concern, with itching having been
reported among some of those affected.
Mihreteab Fisehaye, the director-general of social security in Eritrea's
Ministry of Labour and Human Welfare, said "concerted action" was being
undertaken to help those displaced
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