UNFPA Ethiopia Humanitarian Response Situation Report – June 2022
SITUATION OVERVIEW
The overall humanitarian situation in Ethiopia has significantly worsened since the beginning of 2022 triggered by the cumulative impacts of active conflicts and violence, disease outbreaks – particularly, the COVID-19 pandemic – and climate shocks such as the recent floods in Afar and Somali regions. The country was also hit by one of the worst droughts in the last forty years especially affecting the lowlands of Afar, Oromia, Somali, and the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ (SNNPR) regions. More than 25.9 million people in the country are estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance, including nearly 4.51 million internally displaced people across 9 regions, as of February 2022[1]. According to OCHA, nearly three quarters of the people in need in 2022 are women and girls.
In northern Ethiopia, although active conflict has subsided following the ‘humanitarian truce’ declared by the Federal Government in March 2022, the humanitarian situation continues to be dire with increasing needs faced by IDPs with respect to accessing essential services, including food and health care. Although the movement of lifesaving supplies into Tigray by humanitarian actors has continued steadily, the shortage of fuel is constraining partners’ ability to reach affected people within the region. Mekele airport has been temporarily shut down due to fuel scarcity as reported by authorities in Tigray [1]. In Afar and Amhara regions, the situation is particularly alarming due to the combined effects of conflict and climate shocks, coupled with limited presence and capacity of partners to respond to the increasing needs. Although regional authorities have started a multi-sectoral response to relocate internally displaced people, the response remains largely inadequate to meet the scale of needs.
Ethiopia is experiencing one of the worst droughts since 2020 after four consecutive rainy seasons failed. At least 8 million people have been affected across the South and South-West regions. Recent weather forecasts suggest a potential ‘fifth rainy season’ below average (Oct-Dec), threatening to worsen the drought situation and increase humanitarian needs across the affected regions. In Oromia and Somali regions, drought is compounded by conflict and intercommunal clashes, exacerbating already existing humanitarian needs and hindering access to the people in need. In western Ethiopia, the humanitarian situation is concerning due to hostilities in Benishangul Gumuz, Oromia, and SNNP regions with reported high numbers of newly internally displaced people, damage to infrastructure and basic services, major exposure of affected communities to protection risks and constrained humanitarian access due to insecurity to the people in need.
Source: United Nations Population Fund