Famine hits parts of Wello in Ethiopia’s Amhara region amid ongoing fighting between government forces and armed militants known as “Fano”, APA can report on Sunday.
The famine spans a wide area in North Wollo, with 16 localities in Bugna district where the government has restricted access to humanitarian organisations to the affected areas.
The U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa released a statement in response to the crisis saying it is closely following the recent reports of a nutrition crisis in Bugna zone, North Wollo, Amhara region.
”In support of the people of Ethiopia, our partners are currently surging food nutrition support to the most affected areas. We will continue to follow and assess the situation, and work to ensure the crisis is addressed” said the statement.
According to information reaching APA, at least 100,000 people, particularly women and children, have severely been affected by the crisis with the number of children dying due to the famine increasing every day.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that at least 21 million Ethiopians face “multi-faceted, often overlapping, humanitarian situations driven by man-made and natural hazards, including conflict, climatic shocks (drought and floods), and disease outbreaks.”
Residents told this news agency that food aid deliveries had resumed as of Friday in Bugna district, North Wollo zone of the Region, following an agreement facilitated by local elders after a two-month suspension due to security concerns.
Alemu Yimer, head of the North Wello Zone Disaster Prevention and Food Security Office, said that aid deliveries to Bugna and neighbouring districts in Lasta were delayed due to ongoing clashes between government security forces and Fano militants.
Yimer said food aid is being given to the affected community after representatives assured government officials that they would take responsibility for ensuring the safe delivery of the aid to the area.
Following this agreement, Alemu confirmed that over 16,000 quintals of grain have been transported to Bugna district since 19 December, which, according to him, is under the control of Fano militants, to assist more than 110,000 people.
MG/as/APA