Ethiopia - OCHANet

Conclusions
1. The long term strategy put in place for chronic and acute need prevented famine
and hunger related deaths in 2011.
2. The PSNP played a major role in ensuring that people did not “fall off the edge” into starvation.
3. PSNP works less well in pastoral areas, meaning they are still largely reliant on relief food.
4. Whilst the 2011 operation saved lives, it did not save livelihoods.
5. In a year like 2011 assets are depleted, potentially leading to destitution. In a good year the
PSNP allows households to rebuild their assets. The balance between these
two scenarios is critical.
6. The decentralised health and nutrition (OTP) system saved thousands of lives, catering
for over 329,000 severely acutely malnourished children.
7. The OTP system needed reinforcing through NGO logistical support to cope with the sharp
increase in intake. There were also pipeline issues with RUTF, although these were not critical.
8. The general food ration pipeline held, through a combination of good forward
planning and use of the Ethiopian Strategic Food Reserve Agency.
9. Water supply was another critical life saving intervention, with over four million people
receiving assistance. The emergency water system is ad hoc, and inefficient as a result.
A systematic approach needs to be developed, in the same way as for food security.
10. Resource mobilisation was a success in 2011, with a large amount of the financing in place early.
There were several useful innovations that could potentially be expanded.
Recommendations
1. Strengthen safety net programmes, expand the coverage
of the PSNP and clarify its future. In particular:
n Expand the coverage/retarget the PSNP, starting with a holistic picture of the woreda
population. Government – all levels, donors, international actors and communities.
n Strengthen and adapt PSNP/social protection policies for pastoralist areas
(government supported by donors, UN & NGOs in mid-term - three years).
n Ensure that emergency mechanisms (i.e. HRD) cover the gap between
PSNP coverage (in PSNP woredas) and total population in need
(including in non-PSNP woredas). Government-all levels, international
and national humanitarian actors, donors, communities.
n Develop stronger linkages between safety net mechanisms and mainstream
development objectives/programmes. Government-all levels, development partners.
n Address the “disincentives” for graduation (i.e. loss of capital funds
for infrastructure development that support public works).
n Rather than focusing on ending PSNP, shift the dialogue to
renegotiating the programme post-2014.
n Support the decentralisation of decision-making on assistance coverage i.e.
kebele/woreda officials make the recommendation, which is final.
2. Improve the linkages and harmonisation between
humanitarian and development programmes. In particular:
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