A severe warning has been issued by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), stating that millions of Ethiopians are now “one shock away from catastrophe.”
Amid funding shortfalls and escalating insecurity, the agency has confirmed that food and nutritional support will soon be suspended for over half a million malnourished women and children, unless urgent donor contributions are received.
The WFP, which has already reached three million people in Ethiopia this year despite “immense challenges,” revealed that 3.6 million individuals are at risk of losing access to aid. Operations have been severely constrained by both financial limitations and security threats, particularly in the conflict-affected Amhara and Oromia regions. Ongoing violence, displacement, and criminal activity—including hijackings and theft—have hindered the delivery of life-saving assistance and endangered humanitarian staff.
The impact of the two-year civil war in Tigray, continued regional unrest, persistent drought in the south-east, and a growing refugee influx from neighbouring countries have compounded the crisis. A funding gap of $222 million has been reported for the April to September period. The WFP has stressed that without immediate financial support, its capacity to deliver food aid across Ethiopia could be entirely halted within three months, leaving millions more at risk of acute hunger and malnutrition.