2.2.1 Early Warning System (EWS)
The Ethiopian EWS, established in 1976, is a complex management information system that uses data from and provides information to a large number of government and non-governmental agencies. It is an inter-agency management information system which involves different relevant government institutions.

Since 1993, the System has been decentralised in line with the regionalization policy and bottom-up planning approach. It is now operational at federal, regional, zonal and woreda (district) levels.

The main objective of the EWS is “to provide timely and accurate early warning information on impending and actual emergencies, so that swift, appropriate and effective measures can be taken to avoid suffering.” The focus of the System is on identification of areas and population groups needing relief assistance.

As part of the regular activity of the programme, all relevant indicators of food security are monitored often on a monthly basis culminating in an annual nation-wide crop assessments. Pastoral area assessments are also carried out in the livestock dependent regions, while disaster assessments are conducted as and when emergency situations arise.

Early warning reports are regularly issued and distributed to the Government, donors and the international community. Efforts are now underway to improve the system through the introduction of enhanced methodologies and tools for data analysis.

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