After poor rains in Ethiopia, UN food agency urges continued donor generosity

With an early end to the short rains in southern Ethiopia leaving many farmers without hope of a harvest, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is calling on the international community to continue funding for the impoverished country, where nearly 6 million people overall are threatened by food shortages.

Although the number of children who are severely malnourished is unknown, it has increased in the Southern Nations Nationalities Region (SNNPR), WFP warned in its latest update on of the Horn of Africa country, where it is covering 70 per cent of the emergency food requirements.

A multi-agency report based on a countrywide and Government-led mid-year assessment mission in August found that up to 3.3 million people would need emergency food aid in the second half of 2005 and another 2.5 million should be closely monitored.

WFP “has urged the international community to maintain its generosity to the country,” the update said.