Ethiopia
USAID is responding to the crisis in Northern Ethiopia as well as a historic drought in the Horn of Africa. Photo credit: GOAL
Ethiopia is experiencing its second severe drought in less than two years. Insufficient rainfall during the 2017 rainy season has led to severe water shortages, catastrophic livestock losses, and failed crops throughout the country. The drought in southern Ethiopia comes as the country’s north and central highland communities continue to recover from a severe drought in 2016 triggered by multiple consecutive seasons of below-average rainfall and the effects of the 2015/2016 El Niño climatic event. In August 2017, the Government of Ethiopia estimated that 8.5 million people in the country would require humanitarian assistance through December, primarily due to increased drought-related needs in southern and southeastern parts of Ethiopia.
In addition to drought, populations across Ethiopia face other challenges that contribute to sustained humanitarian needs and an ongoing complex emergency—including above-average food prices, disease outbreaks, localized intercommunal conflict, seasonal flooding, and limited access to health and water, sanitation, and hygiene services.
Related Links
- Fighting Malnutrition in Ethiopia Through Mobile Health and Nutrition Teams
- Helping Drought-Affected Farmers in Ethiopia Regain Their Livelihoods
- Ethiopia Disaster Response Archive
- Horn of Africa Disaster Response Archive
- East Africa Locusts Disaster Response Archive
- Ethiopia Breaking Point - Fighting the Effects of El Niño