Alarming increase in hunger for Ethiopia

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

The World Food Programme says that hunger has risen dramatically in Ethopia because of a severe drought.

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The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said Monday the number of Ethiopians needing food aid to survive had risen to 8.2 million. This is a rapid escalation in hunger since the beginning of the year, when around 2.5 million were needing food assistance.

What has happened since is a massive drought that has drastically reduced food production. WFP also said today that a donation from the government of Sweden had prevented relief supplies from running out.

Sweden donated US $ 16 million, which will allow WFP to feed 1.5 million in the Somali region of Ethiopia. Anneka Knutsson of the Embassy of Sweden says, "We know how important it is to act quickly and early to save lives in these types of crises. Paying early will mean saving later. Ethiopia finds itself in an extraordinarily dire situation with increasing numbers of people needing food assistance."

WFP depends on voluntary donations. More will be needed for what's expected to be a prolonged crisis.

WFP is planning to feed around 6 million Ethiopians in 2016, making it one of their largest country operations. The drought is so severe that WFP food aid is needed to prevent a famine.

Sweden was one of the first to respond to the plea for help. John Aylieff, WFP Representative and Country Director in Ethiopia, says, "Families across the Somali region, whose lives have been turned upside down by what is said to be one of the worst El Niño events in recorded history, will feed themselves and their children for the next month thanks to the generosity of Sweden."

Canada,Norway, Switzerland, and the United States have also made recent donations to Ethiopia. But WFP is now having to gear up for a huge emergency along with others including the wars in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

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