21 March 2011 - Although several consecutive seasons of relatively good rainfall have lead to a recent decrease in the overall level of food insecurity in Ethiopia, as a whole, an estimated 2.3 million people must still rely on humanitarian assistance for survival as a result of drought or conflict in particular regions of the country. The worst-affected region of the country is the Ogaden, in southeastern Ethiopia, on the border with Somalia, where an ongoing low-intensity conflict between ethnic-Somali separatists, the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), and Government of Ethiopia forces has disrupted the lives and livelihoods of local populations, leaving them in need of not only food assistance but also water and sanitation services, medical and nutritional support, and protection. With CIDA support, Médecins sans frontières (MSF) is providing operational support to three health centres in the towns of Wardher, Galadi, and Danod, where it is providing basic healthcare (in-patient and out-patient services, immunizations, reproductive health, TB treatment, nutritional support, etc.) to conflict and drought-affected populations. MSF also conducts outreach activities, including the extension of primary health services to vulnerable groups outside of towns (such as pregnant women in rural areas, the minority Ogadeni population, and nomads), preventative vaccination campaigns in rural areas, and short-term quick impact interventions (such as distribution of non-food items and water trucking) as needed.
