ቀን፡- 10/06/2016ዓ.ም

An ongoing Food and Cash supports to Displaced and Drought Affected people in Tigray, Afar and Amhara Regions 

1. The Humanitarian Responses 

In 2023, three rounds of humanitarian supports have been provided by the collaborated efforts of the government of Ethiopia and donors for the people who are affected by conflicts and the drought in the northern parts of Ethiopia. In total, 894,302 quintals of food assistance and 540.5 million birr cash transfers have been given to 3.9 million people. The 70% of the total in kind humanitarian supports have been provided by the government which is estimated to be 3.5 billion birr. The detailed humanitarian supports per regions are presented below.

1.1. Afar

The emergency supports to afar region constituted 85,853 quintals of food items and 25.5 million birr cash transfers to 302 thousand conflict and drought affected people in the region. These supports include the government responses to the most susceptible people in three different rounds during the year 2023. 

The first government assistance was given in the months of July and August in which 10,310 quintals of food have been provided for 61,423 people. In the second round government support, 35,393 quintals of food have been distributed to 208,808 people in September and October. The last humanitarian support of the government was done in November and December in which 37,521 quintals of food was distributed to 227,400 conflict and drought affected people in Afar region.

In general, the government sponsored supports are estimated to be more than 458 million birr which reaches more than 504 million birr when partners’ supports are included to the most affected people in Afar region.   

1.2. Amhara

Being one of the most conflict and drought affected regions in Ethiopia, 2 million people of the region have received 378,146 quintals of food items and 277 million birr cash transfers which have been provided by the government and donors. Of these, the government funded three rounds of in-kind supports have significant contributions. 

The first response of the government to the shock covered 513,948 people with 37,124 quintals of food in July and August of 2023. The second support of the government relieved 627,916 people with 106,432 quintals of food assistances in September and October. Recently, 168,445 quintals of food have been given to 1.2 million with internal capacity.

 In total, the government sponsored supports to the most affected people in Amhara region are estimated to be more than 1.7 billion birr. In addition to the donors supports, the humanitarian supports to the region is estimated to be more than 2.5 billion birr in 2023 alone. 

1.3 Tigray 

In 2023, 430,303 quintals of food items and 238 million birr cash transfers have been provided to 2.2 million people in Tigray region. These supports have been made available to conflict and drought affected people in the region with the joint interventions of the government and partners in three different rounds. 

From the above mentioned total supports to Tigray region, the government itself allocated 31,078 quintals of food to 654,554 vulnerable people during the months of July and August. In the months of September and October, 126,415 quintals of foods were distributed to 745,813 by the government. The last round support of the government was made in November and December of 2023 in which 77,010 quintals of foods have been provided to 466,703 people. 

These in kind supports of the government are estimated to be more than 1.3 billion birr. Putting together the assistances of donors, the supports to Tigray region would be more than 3.1 billion birr. 

2. Needs in the Subsequent Year 

In the same regions, in January and February of 2024 it is expected that 3.5 million people are in need of 593 thousand quintal of foods assistances. This would become more than 5 billion birr. Of these, 56 thousand quintals of food are required to support 330 thousand people in Afar region.

In Amhara region, 939 thousand people need 159 thousand quintals of food; and in Tigray 2.2 million people are in need of 373 thousand of quintals of food.

For these needs, the federal government, through the National Disaster Risk Management Commission, is preparing to provide 220 thousand quintals of wheat and nutritious foods which in total is worth of 700 million birr. The rest is expected to be covered by partners. Considering these needs to continue until June 2024, 2.4 million quintals of food is required which will be worth of 20 billion birr.

In 2024 the people with humanitarian needs will be estimated to be 10.4 million people in all parts of the country including the three most vulnerable regions. From January to March 2014, the overall national support is expected to cover 6.6 million people. From these needs the 3.5 million people are in Afar, Amhara and Tigray regions.