- Life-saving food and nutrition to help hundreds of thousands of people have been announced by the UK Minister for Development, RT Hon Andrew Mitchell MP
- Funding will support people facing the drastic impacts of drought and conflict across Ethiopia including Tigray and areas of increasing insecurity in western Ethiopia such as Oromia
- With violence and insecurity on the rise, the UK is calling for the international community not to lose focus on Ethiopia after the breakthrough peace deal in Tigray in November
Official Announcement
Important UK funding announced today (January 20) will reach Ethiopia’s most vulnerable citizens in areas with escalating levels of insecurity. More than 600,000 Ethiopians will gain from easier access to essential food or nutritional products.
The additional financing package, which includes food supplies and other nourishment, was announced by the Minister of Development, Andrew Mitchell, in response to the nation’s deteriorating humanitarian crisis and the rise in violence and insecurity.
Ethiopia currently has the highest rate of emergency relief needs in the entire globe, at about 30 million people. An estimated 22 million people in northern and western regions are suffering from severe food insecurity as a result of drought, conflict, and economic pressures.
Peace Accord Signed
Since a peace accord was signed in November, access for humanitarian aid has increased in Tigray. However, a sizable population still has restricted access to necessities and fundamental services including food, gasoline, and healthcare.
Violence and insecurity continue to rise elsewhere in Ethiopia, including in the Oromia region. With the security situation deteriorating, significant numbers of civilians have been displaced from their homes, with many beyond the reach of aid agencies, lacking access to essential services such as electricity, a mobile network, health facilities, and banks.
UK funding to the Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP) will address this humanitarian crisis by delivering aid to those most in need across Ethiopia including Oromia, Tigray, Amhara, and Afar regions.
Minister for Development, RT Hon Andrew Mitchell MP said:
With nearly 30 million people across Ethiopia facing severe hardships, this support from the UK comes at a critical moment.
Our life-saving aid will reach hundreds of thousands of people– over half of which are women and children who are bearing the brunt of the country’s worsening crisis.
To alleviate suffering and save lives, I urge the international community not to lose focus on the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia.
Funding for a Real Crisis
The total UK funding announced today is £16.6 million supporting more than 600,000 people. An £11.6 million contribution to the PSNP will reach around 250,000 people living in extreme poverty with food and livelihood security.
Money will be pooled with multi-donor funding alongside international partners and will go to regions across Ethiopia including Oromia, Amhara, Afar, and Harar city zones. During the last 17 years, the UK has provided £650m to the program.
Support for Mothers and Their Children
Through the World Food Program, a further £5 million of UK funding announced today, will also help treat almost 23,000 pregnant and lactating women suffering from moderate acute malnutrition, and provide better infrastructure for feeding programs for 42,000 school pupils in 75 schools.
This critical support to malnourished mothers and children will reach the most vulnerable in desperate need, including those in conflict-affected areas of Northern and Western Ethiopia.
World Food Programme funding will also be invested in boosting local production of nutrition products, benefitting a further 330,000 children per month.
British Ambassador Darren Welch said:
This latest contribution from the UK is part of a longstanding relationship with the Government of Ethiopia to help address the country’s humanitarian challenges.
UK support to the Productive Safety Net Programme and the World Food Programme will quickly reach those most in need of aid with assistance targeting the most vulnerable, including women and children who are too often the worst affected by climate shocks and conflict.
Darren Welch is newly appointed as His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union.
This funding comes just a month after UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly visited Ethiopia following the recent peace agreement and the opening of humanitarian routes. The funding means the UK will meet its commitment to spend £156 million in humanitarian aid to East Africa in the financial year 2022/2023.
Background
- This total humanitarian funding for Ethiopia for this financial year is £49.2 million
- The £16.6 million of UK funding is going towards:
- £11.6 million to the Productive Safety Net Programme
- £5 million to the World Food Programme
- Nutrition needs in Ethiopia are very significant with admissions of children with severe acute malnutrition the highest on record since 2018.
- More than 1.2 million children with severe acute malnutrition now need life-saving support with a further 3.5 million children and around 1 million pregnant and lactating women requiring support for moderate acute malnutrition.
History of the Conflict in Ethiopia
Ethiopia has a turbulent history of conflict, with several different challenges to power over the centuries. Beginning as far back as the 16th century Ethiopia faced wars of succession between emperors, foreign invasions, and internal insurgencies.
Ethiopia also faced challenges from Italy during the 19th century, with Ethiopia finally securing independence in 1941 following a successful struggle involving many members of its population – Emperor Haile Selassie notably played a central role in mobilizing Ethiopia’s armed forces against Italian control.
After Ethiopian forces achieved victory over Italy in 1941, Ethiopia once again entered into a period of political and military turmoil. In 1974 Emperor Selassie was deposed by Marxist forces known as the Derg, leading to 17 years of brutal rule and violent civil war before Ethiopia transitioned to its current federal form of government in 1991.
Since then Ethiopia has experienced relative stability yet it still faces regional conflicts due to its complex tribal divisions.
Droughts in Ethiopia
In the last decade, Ethiopia has experienced droughts that have been more frequent and intense than in prior years. These droughts have caused crop yields to decrease drastically, leaving households highly vulnerable to food insecurity and resulting hunger crises.
The droughts have severely impacted the country’s agricultural production as well as its livestock production, forcing Ethiopia to rely on external sources of food aid and other sources of humanitarian aid to help meet the basic needs of the population.
Many Ethiopian citizens have had to relocate due to these droughts with limited options or resources available to them.
While droughts are a natural phenomenon that occur in multiple countries throughout the world, efforts must be taken by governments and relief agencies work together toward mitigation efforts before droughts become dire situations with lasting consequences.
Conclusion
The UK’s contribution of £16.6 million to the Productive Safety Net Programme and World Food Programme will help alleviate suffering and save lives in Ethiopia, especially among women and children who are at greatest risk during this humanitarian crisis.
This funding is part of a larger commitment from the UK government to spend £156 million on East African aid this financial year, demonstrating their dedication to helping those most in need.
The UK hopes that other nations join forces with the United Kingdom and contribute whatever resources they can spare so that we may work together towards ending hunger in Ethiopia for good.
Sources: THX News, World Health Organization, UN & Wikipedia.
