Rains in Ethiopia bring relief – and threat of diarrhoea, UN says

Although recent rains in Ethiopia temporarily relieved a severe water shortage, they have also brought an increased threat of diarrhoea, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported today.

“The recent rains, coupled with existing risk factors such as poor hygiene and sanitation practices, have elevated the threat of acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) in areas previously affected by outbreaks,” OCHA said.

The rains helped reduce water trucking requirements, but now the UN and its partners are focusing on rehabilitation of water schemes, sanitation and preparedness for flooding, OCHA said. They are also undertaking AWD preparedness and prevention activities, including the distribution of water and sanitation supplies.

The agency said that a deteriorating nutritional situation in southern Ethiopia “continues to raise concern.”

In particular, the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region had seen a 90 per cent increase n the numbers of persons seeking nutritional aid since March.