UN warns of impending drought-induced humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia

The United Nations is raising alarms over a severe humanitarian crisis unfolding in Ethiopia due to an El Niño-driven drought, a spokesman said on Friday.

Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, outlined the dire situation during the regular press briefing, stating, "In Ethiopia, the impact of an El Niño-driven drought is ravaging communities in Afar, Amhara, Tigray, and Oromia, as well as Southern and South West Ethiopia Peoples' Region."

He detailed the severe consequences being faced, including "severe water shortages, dried pastures, and reduced harvests," which are "impacting millions of lives of human beings and livestock, with reports of food insecurity and rising malnutrition."

Also, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) has called for urgent concerted humanitarian support to tackle the humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia.

The UNOCHA, in its latest Ethiopia humanitarian situation report released late on Thursday, said the El Niño-driven drought is driving millions of people to suffering and desperation, and it called for urgent needs to prevent further deterioration.

According to the UNOCHA, a recent seasonal assessment and a subsequent joint prioritization process have identified a yearly target for food assistance of 10.4 million people in Ethiopia.

It said the current El Niño-driven drought that mainly affected the highlands of Ethiopia is worsened by poor harvest and production loss due to below-average summer rains from June to August 2023.

"The drought scorched farms, dried up rivers and water sources, and parched pastures, putting millions of people and livestock into a worsened humanitarian situation with exacerbated food, water and fodder shortages," it said.

The UNOCHA said the drought situation further exacerbated the already dire humanitarian condition millions of people across northern Ethiopia experienced as the affected people were still recovering from the impact of the two-year northern Ethiopia conflict from 2020 to 2022.

"Conditions for the affected populations will deteriorate if not reacted with multi-sector response between January and March. By then, the affected populations will increasingly have become destitute in the face of severe water shortages, deterioration in livestock health and malnutrition," it warned.