Europe, UK (Commonwealth Union) – Recently, the UK has committed to providing vital humanitarian aid to support hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians, particularly focusing on over 435,000 children and mothers grappling with malnutrition, alongside over 230,000 individuals requiring urgent healthcare access.
This new funding from the UK aims to address acute malnutrition by filling crucial gaps in nutrition supplies and enhancing access to clean water and sanitation. Additionally, it includes provisions for emergency cash assistance and social protection measures to bolster food security and resilience within vulnerable communities. Furthermore, the support will facilitate Ethiopians’ access to primary healthcare services, encompassing ambulance services, antenatal care, vaccinations, and ensuring skilled healthcare personnel are available during childbirth.
Deputy Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell is set to announce a £100 million increase in UK funding at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Ethiopia pledging conference in Geneva recently. He will urge the international community to escalate their support to address the deteriorating situation.
Ethiopia confronts one of the world’s most pressing humanitarian crises, with over 21 million individuals in urgent need of assistance. The country grapples with food insecurity affecting more than 15 million people, alongside over 4 million internally displaced persons. Tigray and Amhara stand out as some of the hardest-hit regions, with nearly 5 million people said to still be enduring the impact of an El Niño-induced drought.
Deputy Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell says “The humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia is at a critical level. When I visited earlier this year I saw first-hand how conflict and drought are devastating communities – with women and young children being the hardest hit.”
The UK, the Government of Ethiopia, and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) joined forces to co-host the latest conference. During the event, the Deputy Foreign Secretary was slated to advocate for ongoing humanitarian endeavors by the international community. Additionally, he is set to emphasize the critical need to direct funding toward the most vulnerable populations and enhance data analysis to optimize response effectiveness.
