The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that millions in Ethiopia are at risk of catastrophe due to a critical funding shortfall. Zlatan Milišić, WFP’s country director, announced that from May, the agency will suspend treatment for over 650,000 malnourished women and children.
Without urgent financial support, 3.6 million people may lose access to food aid in the coming weeks. The WFP needs $222 million for operations through September. Ethiopia is grappling with the aftermath of a civil war in Tigray, ongoing violence in Amhara and Oromia, a prolonged drought in the southeast, and a growing refugee population from neighboring conflict zones.
The WFP also cited increasing insecurity, particularly in Amhara, as a major challenge to reaching vulnerable communities. Despite global donor contributions, the agency stressed that current funding levels are insufficient to maintain its humanitarian assistance in the country of 130 million people.
