The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) on Thursday warned the spillover effects of the Russia-Ukraine conflict are exacerbating the food crisis in Ethiopia.
In an operational update released on Thursday, the WFP said Ethiopia is a large importer of wheat from both Ukraine and Russia and the supply interruption related to the Ukraine crisis is exacerbating the east African country’s food insecurity.
“The crisis in Ukraine also increased the cost of wheat and fertilizer for millions of Ethiopian farmers, threatening this year’s harvest,” said the WFP in its operational update.
According to official data, Ethiopia registered a record high of 43.9 percent food inflation in May, with a combination of conflict and drought contributing to increasing food prices in the country.
The UN agency also warned there is a looming malnutrition crisis in Ethiopia due to a severe lack of funding for its operations.
According to the WFP, between January and April, WFP managed to only reach 40 percent of the 1.4 million acutely malnourished women and children in northern Ethiopia with nutrition treatment due to the severe lack of funding.
The UN agency is aiming to reach more than 11 million vulnerable people in Ethiopia over the next six months but is grappling with a $470 million funding gap.
MG/abj/APA