UN World Food Programme warns hunger crisis in Ethiopia may worsen amid aid cuts News
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UN World Food Programme warns hunger crisis in Ethiopia may worsen amid aid cuts

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned Tuesday that 3.6 million vulnerable people in Ethiopia could lose access to food and nutrition assistance unless funding arrives urgently. The agency stated that only half of its anticipated funding was received last year, forcing program cuts that are now endangering lives.

In a video link with journalists, WFP Country Director Zlatan Milisic stated that more than 10 million people across Ethiopia are acutely food insecure. This includes three million people displaced by conflict and extreme weather.

Due to the shortage of funds, WFP’s efforts to reach two million mothers and children with lifesaving nutrition assistance in 2025, as the organization stressed that more than four million pregnant or breastfeeding women and children under five require treatment for malnutrition..

“What is particularly important now is that our nutritious foods are running out,” Milisic said. “So, we are stopping that program unless something comes really fast.”

WFP provided food and nutritional support to over three million people during the first quarter of 2025, including 740,000 children and pregnant and breastfeeding women suffering from malnutrition. However, ration cuts have become common. Most of the 800,000 refugees WFP supports have received only 60 percent of their standard rations for the past 18 months. Meanwhile, displaced and food-insecure Ethiopians have been receiving 80 percent of their rations for the past nine months.

Humanitarian aid remains difficult to access in conflict-affected areas like Amhara, where ongoing security concerns have disrupted relief efforts, as fighting continues in the Oromia region, escalating tensions in Tigray. The region was previously the center of a devastating civil war between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and the federal government, which claimed an estimated 500,000 lives between 2020 and 2022.

“Incidents such as car hijackings, threats, and theft are increasing, putting staff at significant risk and hindering the delivery of essential aid,” said Milisic.

To sustain its current operations and reach its goal of assisting 7.2 million people in 2025, WFP stated that it requires $222 million by September.

This funding crisis reflects a wider global pattern. Back in March, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced the closure of its southern Africa office, following significant aid reductions from the United States, its primary donor. This decision came in response to the Trump administration’s executive order that suspended the majority of foreign aid contracts, disrupting humanitarian efforts across the globe.

 

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