Administrative Zone 3 (Afar)
Administrative Zone 3 (since May 2006 known as Gabi Rasu) is one of five Zones of the Afar Region of Ethiopia. This zone is bordered on the south by the Oromia Region, on the southwest by the Amhara Region, on the west by the Argobba special woreda and Administrative Zone 5, on the north by Administrative Zone 1, and on the east by the Somali Region.
This Zone covers most of the territory of the former Gobaad sultanate.[1] Towns include Awash and Gewane. Rivers include the Awash and Germama.
[edit] History
The Awash River flows through the south and western parts of this Zone, periodically flooding during the June-to-September rainy season. During 1996, the river flooded parts of Bure Mudaytu and Gewane woredas, but a UNDP team dispatched to survey the area failed to find significant damage.[2] However in August 1999, a planned release of waters from the Koka Reservoir resulted in flooding by the Awash -- although an investigation afterwards showed the flooding was caused by dike failures and silting of the Awash, especially around Melka Were. Approximately 5,000 hectares of cropland in the Zone, and 12 rural kebeles in Amibara and 3 rural kebeles in Dulecha woredas were affected.[3] The Awash flooded again 16 August 2006, displacing 15,000 people and damaging 400 hectares planted in cotton, corn, onions and sesame.[4]
In June 2002, the Afar and the Issa Somali, as well as the Afar and the Ittu Oromo, have engaged in armed clashes in Gewane, Amibara and Awash Fentale woredas over grazing resources diminished due to a drought at that time. As a result the traditional division of work was ignored: women were no longer tending livestock and the men guarded their herds with weapons. Pastoral groups from this Zone concentrated in the Awash lowlands, which forced pastoral groups from Zone 5 to move west and compete with the Argobba.[5]
[edit] Demographics
Based on figures from the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this zone has an estimated total population of 194,635, of whom 106,531 are men and 88,104 are women; 54,172 or 27.8% of its population are urban dwellers. Information is not available for the area of this Zone, so the population density cannot be calculated.[6]
The 1996 national census reported a total population for this Zone of 150,346, of whom 82,657 were men and 67,689 women; 36,929 or 24.56% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The major ethnic groupings in 1996 were 70.8% Afar, 10.43% Amhara, 6.43% Argobba, 3.82% Oromo, and 3.14% Welayta. Of the school-age school-age children, 7.35% (8.22% male and 6.29% female) were currently attending school, which is higher than the Regional average; 19.84% of the total population over the age of 10 (22.75% male and 16.33% female) are reported to be literate.[7]
[edit] Notes
- ^ Tadesse Berhe and Yonas Adaye, "Afar: The impact of local conflict on regional stability", Center for Policy Research and Dialogue website
- ^ Awash River floods (Afar Regional State): Helicopter Survey, 5 June 1996 UNDP Report
- ^ "Afar Region – Awash River Floods Rapid Assessment Mission: 7 – 10 September, 1999" UNDP Emergencies Unit for Ethiopia report, dated June 1996 (accessed 13 January 2009)
- ^ Awash River Overflow Displaces 15,000 People, Washes Away 80 Animals (Ethiopian Herald)
- ^ "Afar: insecurity and delayed rains threaten livestock and people" UN-Emergencies Unit for Ethiopia, July 2002, p. 2
- ^ CSA 2005 National Statistics, Table B.3. Rural population numbers are believed to be underreported for this Region.
- ^ The 1994 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia: Results for Affar Region, vol. 2, Tables 2.1, 2.7, 2.14, 3.1, 3.6. Although the Afar Region was surveyed in 1994 at the same time as the other Regions of Ethiopia, the results were found to be unsatisfactory and a second census of this region was performed 22 July 1996 and its results replaced the earlier work.
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