Ethiopia

Overview

More than 23 million people in Ethiopia are estimated in need of humanitarian assistance due to internal conflict, displacement, recurrent natural hazards, and the socioeconomic impact of COVID-19. Nearly 3.9 million people are living in displacement across Ethiopia as at April 2021. Ethiopia hosts more than 814,500 refugees from South Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea and Sudan. Most of them have been living in camp settings in Gambella, Somali, Benishangul-Gumuz, Afar, and Tigray regions. 1.3 million IDP returnees face heightened needs -- they often lack legal documentation and therefore have limited ability to move and access services such as shelter, education, health, and humanitarian assistance.?

Recurrent natural hazards, primarily drought and flooding, result in humanitarian needs. Several consecutive years of drought in southern and southeastern Ethiopia have led to worsening food security and disrupted the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of farmers and herders. In Tigray, ongoing conflict has resulted in the displacement of more than 1.9 million people and high levels of humanitarian need. Between May and June 2021, 5.5 million people (61% of the population analysed) in Tigray and neighbouring regions of Afar and Amhara were facing Crisis or higher (IPC Phase 3 or above) levels of food insecurity, including 350,000 people in Tigray in Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5). Food insecurity in Tigray is expected to worsen at least through September, with 74% of the analysed population projected in Crisis or higher levels, including 401,000 projected in Catastrophe.?

INFORM measures Ethiopia's risk of humanitarian crisis and disaster as high at 6.3/10. The lack of coping capacity stands at 6.8/10 and vulnerability at 6.5/10. ?

Latest Developments

Armed clashes have intensified in Amhara and Afar regions since 7 October, with airstrikes and ground offensives reported. Information on the impact on the civilian population is not yet available due to constrained access and disruption to communication services, but civilian casualties, displacement and increased humanitarian needs are expected. ?