Northern Ethiopia | Urgent call for assistance

Northern Ethiopia is experiencing one of the world's worst food crises. As of June 2021, about 5.5 million people in Afar, Amhara and Tigray are in high acute food insecurity, representing nearly 61 percent of the analyzed population. Of these, 353 000 people are in Catastrophe level of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 5) in Tigray alone, the highest numbers recorded in the last decade.

Since November 2020, when the conflict erupted, 1.7 million people have been displaced across Tigray and into neighbouring regions. The conflict commenced at the peak of the main agricultural season (Meher) harvest period when many households had not yet harvested their crops. It is estimated over 90 percent of the crop harvest was lost (looted, burned and/or destroyed) and 15 percent of the region’s 17 million livestock were reported looted or slaughtered. Given that the majority of households depend on subsistence agriculture, the loss of their harvest and production inputs has had a devastating impact on their food security and nutrition – 2 million people require urgent livelihood assistance.

In response to the dire situation, FAO has already reprogrammed USD 2 million to immediately support agropastoral and pastoral households with seeds and livestock vaccination and treatment, but more needs to be done.

FAO has developed a response plan and requires USD 30 million to assist 1.4 million people in need through December 2021. A worsening crisis can be prevented if action is taken now at scale to provide vulnerable communities in northern Ethiopia with vital livelihood assistance.