Photo by USAID Africa Bureau
In Ethiopia, there has been a massive emergency for Ethiopia. They’re in a drought and many of their crops and cattle have been destroyed and killed. Millions of people will be affected by lack of food.
Per BBC, “The UN’s World Food Programme said 7.8 million people affected by drought would be left without food assistance.”
Cows are dying every day, leaving people without meat and milk for their children to grow. Two million more people are living in severe hunger now.
DW reports, “Cows are dying in huge numbers as the expected seasonal rains have not been enough to bring relief. In the past two months, the number of people facing severe hunger has risen by two million.”
If there is something that is not done quickly, food distribution for 7.8 million people will end abruptly.
Africa News explains, “‘We’ve got food running out nationally at the end of June. That means the 7.8 million people who are in need of humanitarian food assistance in Ethiopia will see that distribution cut abruptly at the end of June,’ he (John Aylieff) added.”
Ethiopia is not the only country faced with drought. The surrounding nations in the Horn of Africa have also been facing drought.
Per Africa News, “Famine in northeast Nigeria, together with South Sudan, Yemen and Somalia, constitute the worst humanitarian crisis the world has faced since 1945, the U.N. said in March.”
In the meantime, the government of Ethiopia is denying the food for 7.8 million people in Ethiopia will be gone. They say it will only be gone for 1.7 million people.
BBC states, “Ethiopia’s commissioner for disaster risk management Mitiku Kassa said: ‘It’s true that in some areas food will run out by the end of the month but this will only affect around 1.7 million people.’”
There have been thousands displaced by the drought. In fact, many people from Somalia have sought refuge in Ethiopia, making it more difficult to feed everyone.
DW reports, “The drought has displaced hundreds of thousands of people. Many Somalis have sought refuge in Ethiopia. Donor fatigue and similar crises in several other parts of the world are to blame for the slow response, Al-Meraikh said.”
Oxfam is a humanitarian organization, which seeks to provide food for the people of Ethopia.
Per Oxfam, “We are already providing clean and safe water to over 323,000 people as well as 84 schools and hospitals. This covers a quarter of total water needs in the Somali region. In the next three months, we are aiming to reach a total of 700,000 people with clean water, sanitation, and hygiene promotion.”
Please pray for the people of Ethiopia that they would be able to get food before running out of the emergency aid.
BBC: Ethiopia denies emergency food aid will run out within weeks
DW: Horn of Africa drought: Ethiopia runs low on food aid
Africanews: Ethiopia warns of emergency food aid shortage, 7.8m people to suffer