The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated on Wednesday that it needs finances to deal with the recent floods in Ethiopia, which have caused major displacement and devastation in the country’s south and east.
Ethiopia’s Somali Region has been hit the hardest, with over 35,000 families evacuated and over 45 people killed. According to OCHA, over 23,000 animals have died, and approximately 100,000 hectares of agriculture have been devastated.
The main humanitarian needs include food, shelter, agriculture, nutrition, and health care. The floods are also increasing health dangers in areas where there is a cholera outbreak. Flood water has reached places already damaged by the Horn of Africa’s catastrophic drought, which has left over 11 million people food insecure in Ethiopia alone. While the rains have improved agriculture and water conditions, the humanitarian situation remains terrible, according to the report.
The United Nations and humanitarian partners, in collaboration with the Ethiopian government, are delivering life-saving aid. However, the administration stated that more financing is required.
The Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund and the UN Central Emergency Response Fund are coordinating a 40 million US dollar commitment to meet the needs of drought and flood victims. However, just 22% of the almost $4 billion needed for this year’s humanitarian response has been collected, according to the report.
According to OCHA, the UN and humanitarian partners are also attempting to assist individuals travelling from neighbouring Sudan, which is embroiled in a violent conflict.
Since April 21, over 25,000 individuals have crossed into Ethiopia, the vast majority of them are Ethiopians returning home. According to the office, the United Nations and partners, in collaboration with the Ethiopian government, have erected transit shelters with water and sanitation supplies, as well as food and nutrition supplies.