Introduction
The humanitarian situation in Ethiopia is challenging due to the presence of overlapping crises, including conflicts, natural hazards, and epidemic outbreaks.
The regions in northern Ethiopia are still reeling from the impact of the 2 years conflict, which ended in November 2022. Further conflicts are now affecting other regions.
The intensity and frequency of alternating droughts and floods increased, sometimes hitting the same regions.
What are the needs?
Different shocks increase people’s hardships, restrict access to basic services, and erode their coping strategies. They are also the cause of multiple and prolonged displacement across the country.
Several regions in the country have high General Acute Malnutrition levels, with some even reaching a very high/critical level.
The conflict in northern Ethiopia has led to massive and acute humanitarian needs in Afar, Amhara and Tigray, which are still only partially addressed.
Ongoing armed conflicts, namely in Amhara and Oromia, continue to threaten the lives of many, driving humanitarian and protection needs. They also challenge access and prevent vulnerable communities from being reached with assistance. International Humanitarian Law (IHL) violations have also been reported.
Recurrent droughts and floods are another significant cause of food and nutritional insecurity, as well as loss of income opportunities.
Ethiopia also hosts over 1 million refugees, including Sudanese refugees who are fleeing the ongoing conflict in their country. Refugees in Ethiopia rely almost entirely on humanitarian aid to meet their basic needs.
A cholera outbreak which started in August 2022 remains a concern in some areas, while malaria and measles constitute also significant public health threats in Ethiopia.
How are we helping?
In 2024, the EU allocated over €86 million to Ethiopia to provide life-saving assistance to vulnerable populations.
The EU helps vulnerable people in Ethiopia by contributing to emergency, multi-sectoral life-saving humanitarian interventions to conflict-affected people (including internally displaced people), newly or recently arrived refugees (such as the refugees from Sudan), and vulnerable people affected by natural shocks, including drought, floods, epidemic outbreaks.
Through its humanitarian actions, the EU supports different actions providing protection, food aid (through multi-purpose cash assistance), access to clean water and hygiene, shelter, basic essential items, nutritional assistance, disease prevention and access to primary health care, and education and protection for children caught up in humanitarian crises.
In addition, part of the EU’s funding supports the coordination of the humanitarian response in Ethiopia.
The EU is also funding actions helping to build up communities’ resilience to recurrent shocks through disaster preparedness and early action in the face of multi-hazard crises.
In the second half of 2024, some areas towards the South/South-East of Ethiopia have been affected by heavy rainfall under the influence of the La Niña climate phenomenon and subsequent landslides. The EU provided assistance through its Emergency Toolbox funding.
Additionally, an environmental expert from Sweden was deployed through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) to support the UNEP/OCHA Joint Environment Unit (JEU) in conducting assessments and providing recommendations.
La Niña is also forecasted to bring a dry spell on the pastoralist areas that rely on the October to December rains and that are highly impacted by climate hazards.
To continue supporting anticipatory actions, the EU has recently mobilised €200,000 for the Ethiopian Red Cross Society through the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) to help mitigate the potential impact of the forecasted drought on 2 of the most vulnerable areas.
Last updated: 10/10/2024
Facts & figures
Over 1 million refugees, mostly from South Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, and Sudan (UNHCR)
4.5 million are internally displaced (OCHA)
Over 15 million are estimated to be acutely food insecure (OCHA)
20 million people need humanitarian assistance (OCHA)
EU humanitarian funding:
€86.55 million in 2024