ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopia is struggling from its worst drought for 30 years with millions in dire need of life saving aid, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned Sunday.
At least 10.2 million people need food aid in Ethiopia, a figure the UN has warned could rise sharply, as “forecasts indicate that it could double within months” casting a fifth of the population into hunger.
Floods and failed rains caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon have sparked a dramatic rise in the number of people going hungry in large parts of Africa, with Ethiopia of special concern.
“People of the country are facing the worst drought in 30 years. ...the scale of emergency is too much for any single government,” Ban told reporters in the Ethiopian capital.
Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen warned his country had less than half of the $1.4 billion (1.3 billion euros) needed.
“Last year Ethiopia was hit by one of the strongest El Nino events on record... the scale and severity of humanitarian needs have significantly increased,” he said. Food insecurity is a sensitive issue in Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous nation.
Millions of Ethiopians facing worst drought for decades: UN
Millions of Ethiopians facing worst drought for decades: UN
