Drought emergency |
Ethiopia is currently contending with yet another El Niño-induced drought just three years since Super El Niño-induced drought that struke the region in 2016 followed by the 2017 La Niña/ Negative Indian Ocean Dipole-induced droughts. Only 2018 was a a relatiely good year in terms of rain, however the country was rocked by the eruption violent inter communcal conflicts in parts of the country displacing lose to 3.2 million people adding to an already complex humanitarian context and to residual caseloads of people who need food asistance from the previous two droughts.
The current emerging food security crisis in Ethiopia is the result of a combination of factors that includes the pre-El Niño failure of the spring rains and the El Niño induced late onset, erratic and early cessation of the main summer rains. With the exception of some unseasonal rains, the northern half of Ethiopia faces a period of between five (eastern highlands agriculture zone) to eight months (western highlands agriculture zone) without rain. Over the last month LWF Ethiopia started its response in the Lasta woreda (district), North Wollo Zone.
10.2 million people need help
LWF Ethiopia has been working in Ethiopia for 48 years and is operating in many of the areas where the drought has hit people the hardest. In Lalibela district, LWF supports farmers with a Food Security and Livelihood project. In Bale they have been conducting a resilience project. While the project has helped its more than 4,600 beneficiaries to prepare for the current emergency, much more help will be needed to avert the impending catastrophe.
Together with the ACT Alliance LWF Ethiopia has launched an appeal to support people in Ethiopia with initiatives to close food and income gaps. LWF plans to intervene in two woredas (districts), one in the Amhara region (Lasta) and the other one in Rayitu in Bale zone in Oromia regional State. Relief work has started in Amhara.
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ACT Appeal ETH 161
Read and share the ACT Appeal
Ethiopia - 90 Day Fundraising Campaign
Fundraising Campaign by UN OCHA
