ADDIS ABABA, April 3 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has warned that complex natural and man-made humanitarian crises have further exacerbated food insecurity and malnutrition in Ethiopia.
In its annual country report 2023 of Ethiopia issued late Tuesday, the WFP said the East African country has faced "complex multiple crises," including the impacts of recurrent climatic shocks such as droughts and floods, as well as escalating insecurities across different regions of the country.
Africa's second most populous nation has faced conflicts, displacement, and droughts over the past few years, further aggravated by economic challenges against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and global uncertainties. The WFP said the multiple effects of the natural and man-made catastrophes have further worsened the humanitarian crisis in the country, ultimately pushing millions into food insecurity.
Data from the WFP show that the intersecting humanitarian challenges had led some 15.4 million Ethiopians into food insecurity by the second half of 2023.
In addition to internal humanitarian catastrophes facing Ethiopia, the WFP said as the ongoing conflict in Sudan led to an influx of refugees and asylum seekers into the country, the presence of refugees also further exacerbated the humanitarian situation by increasing competition over limited resources available for the refugee response operation.
According to the WFP, the 9.5 million crisis-affected people who benefited from the joint humanitarian support activities last year also include some 800,000 refugees residing in Ethiopia. ■
