Area:
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976 680 sq.km
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Climate:
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Northern coastal area and lowlands in south and east are semi-arid to arid; rest of country has a highland rainy climate with mild winter.
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Population:
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61.67 million (1999 estimate); G.N.P. per caput: US$ 100 (1998)
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Specific characteristics of the country:
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Low-income food-deficit country
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Logistics:
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Land-locked country, roads inadequate
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Major foodcrops:
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Maize, teff, barley, sorghum, wheat, pulses, enset (false banana)
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Marketing year:
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January/December; Lean season: August-November
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Share of cereals in total calorie intake:
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69 percent
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Prospects for the 2000 secondary "Belg" season crops, to be harvested from June, are unfavorable reflecting continued drought. The Belg crop accounts for around 8 to 10 percent of annual cereal and pulse production but in some of the northern parts of the country, it provides important amounts of the annual grain production. The failure of last year's Belg season has severely affected the food supply situation of a large number of people and was exacerbated by the continued drought through the 1999 main season in these areas. The 1999/2000 main "Meher" season grain harvest was estimated by an FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission in December at 10.7 million tonnes, some 6 percent below the previous year's outturn but 22 percent higher than the poor year of 1997. The most important factors affecting production were the poor Belg rains and the late start of the Meher rains.
The food supply situation in pastoral areas of the east and south, bordering Somalia and Kenya, particularly the Somali region, which have had three consecutive years of little or no rainfall, gives cause for serious concern. The on-going drought has already killed large number of livestock and people are migrating in search of water and food. With a below-average Belg crop of about 250 000 tonnes anticipated for 2000, due to continued shortages of oxen and possibly of seed, the Mission estimates the national import requirement to be 764 000 tonnes - significantly above last year's level. A net relief food aid requirement in 2000 of almost 652 000 tonnes is estimated to support 7.8 million people affected by severe food shortages resulting from weather related hazards. In addition to the relief needs caused by natural disasters, food aid will also be needed for IDPs from the border areas with Eritrea, who have been unable to plant their land and have lost income-earning opportunities. However, with poor rainfall during the current Belg season, the food aid requirement may increase significantly.
An Emergency Operation was jointly approved in February 2000 by FAO and WFP for food assistance to 2.3 million people affected by natural disasters, worth US$ 136.8 million for a period of nine months. This is part of appeal for US$ 190 million launched by the UN country team to avert another major humanitarian crisis in the country. Total pledges by mid-March amounted to 430 000 tonnes of which 80 000 tonnes have been delivered.
Wheat | Rice | Coarse grains | Total | |
Normal Production | 950 | - | 5 600 | 6 550 |
Normal Imports | 700 | 5 | 75 | 780 |
of which: Structural food aid | 380 | 5 | 65 | 450 |
2000 Domestic Availability | 2 200 | - | 8 085 | 10 285 |
1999/2000 Production (rice in paddy terms) | 2 200 | - | 7 685 | 9 885 |
1999/2000 Production (rice in milled terms) | 2 200 | - | 7 685 | 9 885 |
Possible stock drawdown | - | - | 400 | 400 |
2000 Utilization | 2 900 | 20 | 8 205 | 11 125 |
Food Use | 1 950 | 20 | 6 611 | 8 581 |
of which: local purchase requirement | - | - | 200 | 200 |
Non-food use | 550 | - | 1 544 | 2 094 |
Exports or Re-exports | - | - | 50 | 50 |
Possible stock build up | 400 | - | - | 400 |
2000 Import Requirement | 700 | 20 | 120 | 840 |
Anticipated commercial imports | - | 20 | - | 20 |
Food aid needs | 700 | - | 120 | 820 |
Current Aid Position | ||||
Food aid pledges | 424 | 1 | 5 | 430 |
of which: Delivered | 79 | - | 1 | 80 |
Donor-financed purchases | - | - | 25 | 25 |
of which: for local use | - | - | 25 | 25 |
for export | - | - | - | - |
Estimated Per Caput Consumption (kg/year) | 31 | 0 | 103 | 134 |
Indexes | ||||
1999/2000 production as % of normal: | 151 | |||
2000 import requirement as % of normal: | 98 | |||
2000 food aid requirement as % of normal: | 152 |