40 per cent rise in Ethiopians needing emergency aid
The number of Ethiopians needing emergency aid has risen by 40 per cent since June
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Friday, 10, Oct 2008 12:46
The number of Ethiopians needing emergency aid has risen 40 per cent since June, from 4.6 million to 6.4 million, according to the United Nations (UN).
The charity Oxfam today called for donors to increase their aid as, at present, the total aid effort in the country is currently under-funded by $260 million (£153 million).
It is suggested that the revised number of Ethiopians needing emergency aid is actually a conservative estimate and does not include the 7.2 million people already receiving money or food from the government.
"Today's figures, terrible as they are, show only half the picture. Over 13.5 million Ethiopians are in need of aid in order to survive. The number of those suffering severe hunger and destitution has spiralled. More can and must be done now to save lives and avert disaster," said Oxfam's country director, Waleed Rauf.
"Compared with the funds going to shore up the global financial system the aid needed to save lives in Ethiopia is a drop in the ocean. The events of recent weeks clearly demonstrate that – with the right kind of political will and ambition - action is possible in the face of urgent needs.
"We need donors to demonstrate that same kind of urgency when responding to acute hunger and underlying vulnerabilities in places like Ethiopia."
In July the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) had to reduce monthly cereal rations in Ethiopia from 15kg a person to 10kg because not enough food was reaching the country.
WFP has only received one third of the funds it needs and has an immediate shortfall of 229,587 tonnes food for the next six months, Oxfam claims.
"A number of donor countries have already made substantial contributions to the humanitarian response in Ethiopia since the beginning of this year. This has helped to save people's lives, but now that the needs are increasing all donors must provide additional money," Mr Rauf added.