More than 20 million men, women and children continue to depend on humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia. Millions have seen their source of livelihood disrupted when they were uprooted from their homes fleeing hostilities or drought.

Parents have seen their children suffer from malnutrition for lack of adequate food and water and associated diseases due to weakened immunity. Others could no longer send their children to school due to insecurity, migration or destroyed income source.

Many have fallen ill from disease outbreaks such as cholera, which are the by-products of shortage of clean water. Women and children also continue to face increased protection risks in conflict areas as well as in drought-affected areas when they make treacherous long journeys in search of water.

Halfway through the year, the number of people targeted for lifesaving multi-sectoral assistance across Ethiopia had already increased by 11 per cent and needs in 2023 are expected to remain high. According to the Global Humanitarian Overview for 2023 that was officially launched on 1 December 2022, more than 26 million people in Ethiopia are estimated to require assistance in the coming year and US$3.5 billion is required to meet all the needs.

More than 3.6 million children in Ethiopia have never been to school or have dropped out due to a combination of conflict, climate change and displacement, according to UNICEF.  The number of out-of-school children in Ethiopia has spiked from 3.1 million to 3.6 million in the last six months driven in part by recent conflict in Afar, Amhara and Tigray regions and ongoing violence in parts of Oromia causing further civilian displacement.

More:  reliefweb, savethechildren

Pray:    For children who have no access to or experience of education.  That they may be closely held and protected them from evil. (Psalm 82:3-4)

                For adequate water and food supplies, and relief where these are not readily available. (Job 5:20)

                For an end to violence and civilian displacement in the regions of Afar, Amhara, Tigray and Oromia