UN calls for $265mn to fund humanitarian aid in Ethiopia
October 15, 2008 (UNITED NATIONS) – The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today called for more than $265 million to fund aid operations in drought-stricken Ethiopia for the next three months.
The UN humanitarian office said some 6.4 million people now estimated to need urgent assistance. The OCHA reported that a recent joint assessment by Ethiopian authorities and the international humanitarian community found that an extra 1.8 million people have been hit hard by the drought crisis since the last assessment in June.
The biggest increase has been in the country’s south-east, known as the Somali region, where the number of people requiring emergency food aid has almost doubled to 1.9 million since June.
OCHA said the persistent failed rains and the increased food prices have left people in need across the Horn of Africa. John Holmes, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, called for donors worldwide to immediately step up their financial commitments to deal with the crisis.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) at the end of September appealed for US$460 million to feed hungry people affected by drought and high food prices in Ethiopia through to March next. The USAID said it would provide Ethiopia with additional $60 million in food assistance to the Ethiopian people through the WFP.
Last Month Ethiopian government dismissed OCHA report saying drought was put under control as it is not beyond the capacity of the government. But opposition parties accused the government of political manipulation. They also said that such statements are far from the reality on ground.
At least $218 million of the funds sought by OCHA and Ethiopia now is designated to pay for an estimated 270,000 tons of food aid needed through December, with most of the remainder going to cover health, nutrition, water and sanitation, agriculture and livestock support.
(ST)