ESAT News (April 19, 2017)
Aid agencies were encouraged to redirect available resources to the fight against Acute Watery Diarrhoea (ADW), which has already affected 40 districts in the Somali region of Ethiopia, a region severely affected by repeated droughts.
The Ethiopian Humanitarian Fund (EHF) said aid partners with existing funding are encouraged in the region to discuss with the AWD Management Team in Jijiga, the capital of the Somali region, and redirect resources as appropriate, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a release.
The Office said at least 40 woredas across seven zones of Somali region are currently affected by the outbreak and the disease is reported to be rapidly spreading to neighbouring districts.
“The severity of the AWD situation is such that there may need to be a realignment of priorities resulting in delay to some projects,” it said.
The outbreak came amid severe drought affecting the country’s Somali, Oromo and South regions where 5.6 people need immediate food assistance.