12/03/2016 15:45 CET
The government of Ethiopia and the United Nations have asked for help to feed more than 10.2 Ethiopians.
A long-standing drought has led to increasing hunger and malnutrition.
The UN says funding shortages mean food aid is in short supply and malnutrition will rise dramatically if donor money runs out in two months.
Ethiopia and the UN have asked for the equivalent of 1.2 billion euros. It’s the third-largest appeal globally .. after Syria and Yemen.
“Fifty to 90 percent of crop and livestock losses have been reported, and in the Eastern part of the country, complete destruction,” explained Rosanne Marchesich, FAO Response Team Leader.
Poor grazing for animals has led to high livestock mortality rates. Limited water has resulted in sharp declines in milk and meat production – a vital source of nutrition.
Ethiopia has one of Africa’s fastest growing economies, but many people are still small-scale farmers and herders who depend on seasonal rains.
Now that the spring rains have started, many farmers have no seeds.
The country’s drought is not just a food crisis – it is a livelihood crisis.