Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 3rd Feb. UN humanitarian aid office and the Government of Ethiopia on Friday have appealed for urgent funding to respond the rising hunger and drought in the northern Ethiopia.
OCHA reported that drought is destroying communities in Afar, Amhara, Tigray and Oromia, as well as the Southern and South West Ethiopia Peoples’ Region.
It said that severe water shortages, dried pastures and reduced harvests are impacting millions of people and livestock, with reports of food insecurity and rising malnutrition.
UN and the authorities said in a joint statement that the people affected by the two-year conflict in Tigray are most vulnerable.
OCHA reported over 6 million people are already receiving food and cash across affected areas, but huge gaps remain.
The number of critically food insecure people will grow over the next few months, reached a peak of 10.8 million during the lean season from July through September, according to a recent joint assessment by the Government and humanitarian partners.
Malnutrition rates in parts of Afar, Amhara and Tigray and other regions have already surpassed globally recognized crisis thresholds, but currently do not reflect famine-like conditions.
OCHA said “While the situation in many of these areas is already alarming, there is an opportunity to avert a serious humanitarian catastrophe through additional funding to urgently scale up and sustain response efforts,”.
