Ethiopia: Over 8 million face famine nationwide

Event

According to the government commission responsible for the nation’s disaster crisis management, more than 8 million people are in need of emergency food aid throughout the country as of early September. This estimate represents a sharp increase from what was projected in January 2017, when the commission announced that, due to the low rainfall, 5.6 million people were expected to need food aid in 2017. Over 140,000 cattle have died as a result of the drought, leaving local farmers with little recourse for survival.

Forecasts anticipate rains in mid-September, however changing weather patterns may prevent this.

Context

Droughts are common in Ethiopia. In 2016, 10.2 million people required food aid. Around 80 percent of the Ethiopian population depends on agriculture and livestock for their livelihoods, and a large portion of the country's arable land relies on seasonal rainfall.

Ethiopia is one of several East African nations, including South Sudan, Somalia, and Kenya that are suffering from two failed rainy seasons, leading to food shortages and livestock deaths across the region. The drought is said to be the worst in five years.

Advice

Individuals in Ethiopia are advised to stock up on food and bottled water, and conserve water as much as possible. On a more general note, due to the terrorist threat linked to the Somali group al-Shabaab, the majority of Western governments advise their citizens against all travel to the Ogaden region and other areas along the border with Somalia, as well as nonessential travel to the rest of the Ethiopian Somali region. The Eritrean, Sudanese, South Sudanese, and Kenyan borders are also considered high-risk destinations.