At least 50 aid workers died as they had been carrying out their humanitarian duties in Ethiopia in 2024, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has disclosed.
The WFP, in a report published recently, said that insecurity situations in different parts of Ethiopia are affecting its humanitarian operations.
According to the report, the latest casualty occurred on WFP’s driver who was shot dead in the country’s Amhara region.
WFP further said it continues to face supply chain disruptions while performing daily activities due to insecurity, road blockage, and fuel shortage. “These issues have impacted WFP’s operational efficiency in resources and time,” it said.
In February this year, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said that since 2019, 46 aid workers have lost their lives in Ethiopia, of whom 36 were related to conflicts in northern Ethiopia.
“Humanitarian partners are not targeted by weapon bearers, however, the volatility of the security situation and the multiplicity of armed actors involved, including local militias and armed civilians, pose a high risk for aid personnel and relief operations,” the UNOCHA said.
Meanwhile, the WFP in its latest brief further said funding gap is hampering its operations in Ethiopia. It appealed for urgent funding from international donors as it requires 374 million U.S. dollars to cover its response in Ethiopia for the next six months.
MG/as/APA