The UK will today [Tuesday 16 April] pledge humanitarian aid to
provide lifesaving support for hundreds of thousands of
Ethiopians, including over 435,000 children and mothers suffering
from malnutrition and more than 230,000 needing access to
emergency healthcare.
The new UK funding will treat the worst cases of acute
malnutrition, covering critical gaps in nutrition supplies. It
will also increase access to safe water and sanitation, while
providing emergency cash and social protection to increase food
security and resilience in vulnerable communities. The UK's
support will boost Ethiopians' access to primary health care
services including access to ambulance care, antenatal care,
vaccinations, and ensuring women have a skilled healthcare worker
when they give birth.
The Deputy Foreign Secretary will announce the £100
million boost to UK funding at the UN Office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Ethiopia pledging conference in
Geneva today where he will call on the international community to
step up support to address the worsening situation.
Ethiopia faces one of the world's largest humanitarian crises,
with over 21 million people in need of assistance. Over 15
million people face food insecurity, and over 4 million people
are internally displaced. Tigray and Amhara are some of the worst
affected regions, with an El Niño-induced drought continuing to
affect close to 5 million people.
Deputy Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell said:
The humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia is at a critical level. When
I visited earlier this year I saw first-hand how conflict and
drought are devastating communities – with women and young
children being the hardest hit.
The UK is doing it all it can to ensure communities most in need
across Ethiopia have access to nutrition, healthcare, water and
sanitation. The international community must act now if we are to
avoid the humanitarian crisis escalating further.
As vulnerable countries such as Ethiopia are impacted by more
frequent and more severe drought and flooding, the UK is
supporting them to adapt and build resilience for the long term.
Funding will boost the climate resilience of communities and
provide support for those displaced due to drought and extreme
weather.
Today's conference is co-hosted by the UK, the Government of
Ethiopia, and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA). The Deputy Foreign Secretary will call for the
international community to continue its humanitarian efforts. He
will also outline the importance of ensuring funding goes to
those who need it the most and improving data analysis to
increase the efficiency of the response.
Background
- The Deputy Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell visited Ethiopia
in February, where the UK announced £100 million for Ending Preventable
Deaths.
- Forecasts indicate that the number of critically food
insecure people is projected to peak at 10.8 million between
July and September. Malnutrition rates in several regions have
significantly increased, surpassing critical thresholds.
- The White Paper and Global Food Security Summit (GFSS) and
2023 campaign set the stage for renewed UK leadership on
humanitarian action and food security. This includes a strong
focus on resilience building, prevention of malnutrition through
the health system, and more climate resilient agriculture and
food systems.
- Last year the UK doubled its humanitarian funding to Ethiopia
from £42 million to £80 million in light of its increased needs.
This year the UK will continue to scale up its work, providing
£100 million for humanitarian assistance to avert a serious
humanitarian crisis.
- £30 million of this funding will be used to treat acute
malnutrition for those in greatest need, covering critical gaps
in nutrition supplies.
- The remaining funding will target health, water and
sanitation deficiencies as part of efforts to prevent and reduce
malnutrition, while funding emergency cash and social protection
to increase food security and resilience for vulnerable
communities.
