World Vision provides food assistance to 1.2 million conflict-affected people in northern Ethiopia
World Vision has been responding to the humanitarian needs of people in northern Ethiopia since December 2020. So far, we have reached more than 2.6 million people, 1 million of whom are children, through interventions in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), food assistance, health, nutrition, protection, shelter, and cash distribution.
According to the latest UNOCHA estimate, 9.4 million people need humanitarian assistance across northern Ethiopia. The active conflict continues to aggravate the humanitarian needs due to displacement, loss of livelihoods, and lack of access to markets, food, and other essential services. World Vision has taken lead in responding to the crisis at grassroots level, leveraging our existing presence in the areas we are already operating in.
Since the outbreak of the conflict, World Vision has been responding to the people affected by the crisis through the USAID Joint Emergency Operation for Food Assistance consortium (JEOP).
“In view of the deteriorating food security and humanitarian need, World Vision revised its operational planning figures upwards to include additional needs identified on the ground”, says Lilian Mumbi, Northern Ethiopia Crisis Response Director. In December 2020, World Vision set forth food assistance as a priority to address the dire humanitarian needs of people affected by the conflict and vulnerable communities in northern Ethiopia.
Genzeb Tesfaye, a single mother of two, is one of the conflict-affected people living in Woldia city in the North Wollo zone of the Eastern Amhara region. She spent the whole conflict time in her house praying for God to end the hostility. "I was worried about my children’s mental and physical safety. I had nothing to feed them and they are [still] traumatised,’’ she explains recalling the worst days.
“The support helped me to put food on the table for my children. It means everything for me and my kids,” Genzeb concludes.
Millions of Ethiopians are on the brink of starvation as the country has been experiencing multiple crises compounded by the impacts of conflict, climate change, and COVID-19. According to the Global Humanitarian Overview 2022 report, an estimated 25.9 million people are still in need of humanitarian assistance.