The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing an additional $488 million in critical humanitarian assistance to the people of Ethiopia as an historically unprecedented drought threatens the survival of more than 8.1 million people. Communities across southern and southeastern Ethiopia are experiencing the worst effects of the four back-to-back drought seasons. Farmers are experiencing widespread crop losses and 2.5 million livestock deaths have been reported – a significant loss in sources of food and income.
In some drought-affected parts of the country, armed conflict is limiting access to food and income, while the rising cost of food, fuel and fertilizer exacerbated by Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine is making it more difficult for families to afford the essentials they need. Many Ethiopians are still grappling with the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and recent desert locust infestations. For children, the drought is taking a toll on their ability to get an education as nearly 650,000 children are out of school, and more than 2,000 schools closed due to lack of water. In some drought-hit areas, recent reporting shows a 51 percent increase in child marriage as families try to cope, reversing decades of progress made in combating child marriage across Ethiopia, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund.
With today’s announcement of more than $488 million in humanitarian assistance, USAID partners will meet urgent needs for 4.8 million people across Ethiopia. This includes:
With this announcement, USAID has provided more than $668 million in humanitarian assistance for the Ethiopia emergency drought response in FY 2022 – the greatest share of all donor funding for this crisis to date by far. But it is insufficient to help all the people in need. The United States has stepped up to meet the majority of immediate funding gaps to save lives now, but it is imperative that the Government of Ethiopia, other donors, and international partners join us to help prevent significant loss of life and meet expected humanitarian needs into 2023.
A portion of this $488 million in funding for Ethiopia is included in the additional Ukraine supplemental and is part of the $2.76 billion in USAID assistance announced by President Joe Biden on June 27, 2022. It is being programmed immediately to address the most dire impacts of the global food security crisis and historic drought in countries with high levels of acute food insecurity, reliance on Russian and Ukrainian imports, and vulnerability to price shocks.
Last updated: July 27, 2022
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