Measles outbreak, floods complicate drought situation in Ethiopia - An outbreak of measles and a likely flood threats could complicate and exacerbate the ongoing drought in Ethiopia, according to reports by various UN agencies. United Nations officials say the outbreak of measles in Ethiopia and Kenya have recently killed dozens of children and sickened thousands of others. UNICEF announced on Friday that at least 17,584 measles cases, including 114 deaths, have been reported by Ethiopian health officials in the first half of the year.

World Health Organization (WHO), on its part, said at least 462 cases of measles, including 11 deaths, have been confirmed in recent months among Somali refugee children in the Kenyan refugee complex of Dadaab.

A further two million children in Ethiopia are at risk of contracting measles, according to WHO which warned that the movement of people and poor sanitation in overcrowded camps and towns due to drought and violence in East Africa increases the risk of cholera, typhoid and measles epidemics.

The World Food Program (WFP) on Thursday said as the drought seriously undermined the food security of up to 4.5 million people in Ethiopia, a threat posed by expected flooding during the second half of 2011 could exacerbate the situation.

Judith Schuler, the WFP Ethiopia spokeswoman, said many of its food assistance activities in Ethiopia also 'face significant funding shortfalls'.

The Ethiopian government this week announced that over 4.5 million Ethiopians needed emergency relief estimated to cost about US$ 400 million

Pana 16/07/2011