Forgotten crises to watch in 2010 OGADEN CRISIS IN ETHIOPIA

LONDON (AlertNet) - Amid frequent headlines about conflict-ridden Somalia, Afghanistan and Sudan, it is easy to overlook less well publicised emergencies in other parts the world. Yet some of these forgotten crises are likely to intensify in 2010, aggravating human suffering.
Here is a selection of some of the under-reported humanitarian emergencies at risk of deteriorating this year. The list is by no means exhaustive nor is it any kind of ranking.
An Ethiopian woman holds her malnourished child in a hospital in the eastern region of Ogaden which borders Somalia, Jan. 16, 2006. REUTERS/Andrew Heavens '
OGADEN CRISIS IN ETHIOPIA

The humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia's Ogaden region is worsening, yet the Ethiopian government continues to deny aid agencies access. Ogaden is mainly populated by Muslim Somali-speakers. The area does most of its trade with Somaliland, Somalia and the Middle East, rather than the rest of Ethiopia.
Formed in 1984 amid a resurgence of separatist sentiment in the Ogaden region, the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) is rebelling against the central government in a sporadic armed conflict. The true picture of the humanitarian crisis in Ogaden is faint but according to Amnesty International's 2009 report, both government forces and ONLF fighters perpetrated human rights abuses against civilians.

Last year's drought destroyed crops and pastures, and water became scarce for the mainly pastoral communities there.
"The aid community in Ethiopia is deeply concerned (by) the denial of access to the people affected by the conflict and the worst drought in the region," said an aid worker who declined to be named. The aid worker said the Ogaden crisis is not only forgotten but "hidden by the government".

Analysts say Ogaden's fate is tied with the situation in neighbouring Somalia, largely controlled by Islamist and extremist rebels, and Eritrea's border dispute with Ethiopia - both crises that seem far from over.

Written by: AlertNet correspondent