A conference organized by the United Nations and the governments of Ethiopia and the UK to address the urgent need for more humanitarian funding for the crisis-hit East African country ended in Geneva, Switzerland, with pledges totaling nearly $630 million, the UN said.
According to the UN, Ethiopia needs immediate funding of $1 billion to sustain aid deliveries to some 15.5 million people over the next five months.
Funding is needed for Ethiopia because of a crisis caused by cycles of drought, flooding and conflict, the UN has warned. In addition, 10.8 million people are expected to be affected by food insecurity and malnutrition during the July-September lean season.
"Around 4.5 million people have been displaced from their homes, raising concerns about public health and protection services. The El Niño phenomenon has worsened drought conditions in the northern highlands, leading to decreased water availability, parched pastures, and reduced harvests," the organization stated.
Apart from that, the level of malnutrition in some parts of the country is a serious concern and continues to worsen, the UN added.
"Conflicts have destroyed thousands of schools, health facilities, water systems and other community infrastructure. And that adds to the difficulty," said Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN's Assistant Secretary-General and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ethiopia, adding that security and safety of humanitarian workers are still issues in "many parts of Ethiopia."
The Ethiopian government has recently endorsed a new national policy for disaster risk management and committed $250 million for food support in the coming months.