APA-Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) warned that Ethiopia continues to face huge humanitarian challenges attributed to diverse natural and man-made calamities.
“Ethiopia continues to face huge humanitarian challenges, with conflict and displacement, extended drought, floods and disease outbreaks as the main drivers of need,” the UNFPA said in its humanitarian response situation report issued Tuesday.
It said persistent food insecurity in northern Ethiopia as well as consecutive hazards in drought and flood affected areas are having detrimental consequences leading to health risks and increased protection concerns.
Figures from the UNFPA show that over 20 million people are currently estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance across the East African country.
It said the suspension of food aid countrywide, the expansion of disease outbreaks across regions, such as cholera, malaria and dengue fever as well as the ongoing influx of thousands of displaced people escaping from violence in neighboring Sudan and Somalia continue to strain the health and protection systems due to overlapping crises and insufficient funds and resources.
The UNFPA said thousands of people have been displaced by floods brought on by the recent rains in Somali, Oromia, Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples (SNNP), Gambella and Afar regions.
According to recent figures from the UN, more than 37,000 households have been affected by floods in Ethiopia’s Somali region alone.
The UNFPA warned that the ongoing cholera outbreak has spread across 74 districts in Oromia, Sidama, Somali, and SNNP regions at a cumulative total of 11,960 cases while 272,400 people are affected in the Oromia region alone by the spread of malaria.
It said although humanitarian partners are providing life-saving support that include shelter, non-food items, water and protection services, a scale-up of assistance is needed to support the expected new arrivals in the following months of 2023.
MG/as/APA