KEY DEVELOPMENTS
Multiple consecutive seasons of below-normal rainfall—exacerbated by the effects of El Niño—have resulted in deteriorating agricultural, livestock, food security, and nutrition conditions in northeastern and central Ethiopia. By early 2016, the UN anticipates that 15 million people will require emergency food assistance and 350,000 children will need treatment for severe acute malnutrition (SAM); critical needs in drought-affected areas will also require humanitarian agricultural, health, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions.
USAID staff in Ethiopia are coordinating with stakeholders and participating in assessments to determine needs. USAID partners continue to implement life-saving humanitarian response activities, including nutrition interventions, the provision of emergency food assistance, and the distribution of agricultural and livestock supplies. In addition, USAID-funded resilience programs have activated crisis modifier mechanisms that protect development gains by addressing urgent needs in drought-affected areas.