HIGHLIGHTS
USG conducts humanitarian assessments in drought-affected areas
Approximately 102,600 people displaced due to drought between July and December 2015
USAID activates GRAD crisis modifier to support drought-affected populations
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
In December 2015 and January 2016, U.S. Government (USG) staff, including U. S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Patricia M. Haslach, visited USAID-support relief programs and conducted various humanitarian assessments across drought-affected areas of Afar, Amhara, Oromiya, and Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples (SNNP) regions. The visits highlighted widespread humanitarian needs in affected regions.
USAID has launched an integrated response that includes scaling up humanitarian assistance and modifying development programs to mitigate the drought’s impact and speed recovery. USAID/OFDA is supporting life-saving response activities in Ethiopia, including nutrition and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions and the provision of agricultural and livestock supplies. USAID/FFP is also providing emergency food assistance to approximately 4 million Ethiopians, as well as refugees from Eritrea, Somalia, and South Sudan. In addition, USAID-funded resilience programs have activated a second crisis modifier designed to support drought-affected households and livestock in Tigray Region.