The Humanitarian Response Fund (HRF), managed by the UN Humanitarian Coordinator with support from OCHA, was established in Ethiopia in 2006 with two major objectives: 1) ensuring timely and appropriate delivery of gap-filling, live-saving assistance 2) as a means of strengthening the coordination role of the UN Humanitarian Coordinator (HC). The priority interventions are determined jointly with government authorities, the UN, and NGOs.
HRF humanitarian operation in Ethiopia is based on inter-agency and inter-donor cooperation, and has a decision making structure in place to ensure broad participation from relevant stakeholders in the humanitarian field. Disbursements from HRF are based on proposals from a range of humanitarian partners in Ethiopia, within the government framework of the annual humanitarian appeals.
According to the Joint Government and Humanitarian Partners humanitarian response plan for 2008, issued on 10 April, the humanitarian situation in Ethiopia is currently affected by failure of deyr/hageya rains in most pastoral areas of Somali Region and Borena zone in Oromia Region, followed by poor-to-very poor belg/ganna rains resulted in extreme food insecurity in the south and south eastern pastoral and agro pastoral areas of the country. According to the National Meteorology Agency (NMA) forecast, the performance of rains is anticipated to be low (below average) in some parts of the country until May 2008. The low performance of the rains is forecasted to affect the belg crop producing areas of the country in the north-eastern highlands, central and southern parts of Tigray, Amhara, SNNP regions. Belg planting has been delayed in these areas, which is anticipated to result in poor or failed belg production in July/August.
OCHA is an important humanitarian partner for Norway, and will continue to play an increasing coordination role for the various humanitarian actors. In the HRF Guidelines, OCHA has highlighted the close collaboration with other stakeholders. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs finds this particularly important, as humanitarian interventions too often are fragmented, lack coordination between relevant stakeholders and are of no relevance to national guidelines and policies. Continued cooperation with other humanitarian actors is therefore a condition for receiving support from the Ministry.