The lack of financial resources and supplies in the World Food Programme (WFP) of the UN has put the continuity of food aid in Ethiopia at risk.
By the end of this month, the interruption of funds will lead to the suspension of life-saving treatment for 650,000 malnourished women and children, the agency warned on Tuesday.
Alert due to lack of food aid
Currently, 3.6 million vulnerable people depend on assistance from the WFP, but without urgent funding, they could be left without help, stated Zlatan Milisic, the agency’s director in the country.
The situation is critical, with more than 10 million Ethiopians experiencing acute food insecurity, including three million displaced due to conflicts and extreme weather events.
“Malnutrition has reached alarming levels,” Milisic declared in a conference from Geneva.
Child malnutrition reaches emergency levels
More than four million pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and young children need malnutrition treatment in Ethiopia.
In regions like Somali, Oromia, Afar, and Tigray, acute child malnutrition exceeds 15%, a figure considered as the emergency threshold.
The WFP had planned to assist two million mothers and children by 2025, but the funding cuts have forced the agency to reduce its operations.
“We are at the limit,” Milisic warned, pointing out that the WFP is running out of nutritious foods and, without immediate funds, will be forced to halt the program.
Reduction of rations to reach the most vulnerable
In the first three months of 2025, the WFP managed to provide food and nutritional assistance to over three million people, including 740,000 malnourished women and children.
However, to address the crisis, the agency has reduced food rations, affecting:
- 800,000 refugees, who have only received 60% of their usual ration.
- Internally displaced persons and Ethiopians in severe food insecurity, whose assistance has been reduced by 80% over the last nine months.
Additionally, in the Amhara region, where conflict hinders access, over 500,000 people could be left without supplies due to disruptions in humanitarian operations.
Violence and looting impact aid distribution
Difficulties in delivering supplies in Ethiopia are due to not only the lack of funds but also the risk to humanitarian personnel.
Milisic denounced that in Amhara, vehicle kidnappings, threats, and robberies have increased, putting the workers’ safety at risk and hindering aid delivery.
School aid and assistance to face drought
Despite the challenges, the WFP maintains its school feeding program, benefiting 470,000 children each month, including 70,000 refugee children.
Furthermore, the agency continues to work in drought-prone regions like Oromia and Somali, with early warning systems and cash transfers programs for over 200,000 people.
Urgency of funds to sustain operations
To prevent the collapse of its programs, the WFP needs 222 million dollars by September, in order to achieve its assistance goal for 7.2 million people in 2025.
“We have the equipment, logistics, staff, and partners,” Milisic affirmed. “What we lack are the resources to act on the scale demanded by this crisis”.
*With information from UN News
Cover photo: Ben Curtis/Associated Press
