Ethiopia needs $70m - UN
2008-04-12 21:11
Addis Adaba - Ethiopia has appealed for $67.7m to help at least two million people threatened by drought, the United Nations said on Saturday.
The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said funds would alleviate suffering in the country's four regions, namely Somali, the Southern Nations, Nationalities and People's State, Tigray and Oromia.
"An estimated 2.2 million people are in need of emergency food assistance following inadequate rainfall in some parts of the country during the 2007 meher (rainy) season, which runs from June to October," UNOCHA said in a statement.
Total food requirement is estimated to be about 171 646 metric tons. Attention would also be given to health, nutrition, water, sanitation and agriculture, UNOCHA added.
It also warned that last year's drought would slash food production in neighbouring Djibouti, Eritrea, the northern parts of Kenya and south-central Somalia.
Despite not reaching full drought proportions, poor rainfall in an upcoming season would have serious impacts on health and livelihoods in the entire region, UNOCHA said, calling for intervention from government and aid groups.
- AFP