Administrative Zone 3 (Afar)

Afar Zone 3 Gabi Rasu
Zone
Zone 3 location in Ethiopia
Country	Ethiopia
Region	Afar Region
Area[1]
• Total	6,594.18 km2 (2,546.03 sq mi)
Population (2012 est.)[1]
• Total	234,427
• Density	36/km2 (92/sq mi)

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 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.^[2] Towns include Awash and Gewane. Rivers include the Awash and Germama.

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.^[3] 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 (19 sq mi) of cropland in the Zone, and 12 rural kebeles in Amibara and 3 rural kebeles in Dulecha woredas were affected.^[4] The Awash flooded again 16 August 2006, displacing 15,000 people and damaging 400 hectares (1.5 sq mi) planted in cotton, corn, onions and sesame.^[5]

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.^[6]

Demographics

Based on the 2007 Census conducted by the Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA), this Zone has a total population of 198,751, of whom 108,995 are men and 89,756 women. While 54,328 or 27.33% are urban inhabitants, a further 24,075 or 12.11% were pastoralists. Seven largest ethnic groups reported in Zone 3 were the Afar (64.78%), Amhara (12.01%), Argobba (10.72%), Wolayta (4.05%), Oromo (2.75%), Hadiya (1.25%), Kambaata (1.19%); all other ethnic groups made up 3.25% of the population. Afar is spoken as a first language by 64.66%, Amharic by 22.25%, Argobba by 5.42%, Wolaytta (2.89%), Oromo (1.51%); the remaining 3.27% spoke all other primary languages reported. 81.3% of the population said they were Muslim, 13.8% were Orthodox Christians, and 4.45% were Protestants.^[7]

The 1996, the 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.^[8]

Notes

Zones of the Afar Region Current zones Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone 4 Zone 5 Special woredas Argobba

Woredas of the Administrative Zone 3 (Afar) Current districts Amibara Awash Fentale Bure Mudaytu Dulecha Gewane Former districts within the zone Argobba (special woreda)

Coordinates: 10°0′N 40°30′E / 10.000°N 40.500°E / 10.000; 40.500