Ethiopia Appeal

Ethiopia is grappling with a complex humanitarian crisis characterized by armed conflict, intercommunal violence, climate-related hazards, disease outbreaks, food insecurity and socioeconomic degradation. Currently, 21.4 million people, including 16.7 million women and children, nearly 4.5 million displaced people, 2.1 million children with disabilities and more than 1 million refugees and asylum seekers urgently need humanitarian assistance. Additionally, 8 million children (49 per cent girls) are out of school, mainly in Amhara, Oromia and Tigray regions, with more than 9,654 schools damaged due to conflict. Recent SMART+ surveys conducted between June and July 2024 in various livelihood zones in Ethiopia revealed concerning trends of acute malnutrition in several regions, with an estimated 894,682 cases of severe wasting in children younger than five countrywide. 

In Amhara, ongoing conflict between federal forces and the Fano militia is worsening humanitarian conditions, causing displacement, property destruction and gender-based violence, as well as restricting access to basic services and markets and disrupting livelihoods, leaving millions of children out of school and women without essential health care. In Tigray, despite some improvements following the 2022 peace agreement, significant humanitarian needs persist. Approximately 1 million internally displaced persons are living in dire conditions, with high levels of food insecurity and malnutrition. Girls and women, particularly survivors of sexual violence, require mental health and psychosocial support. In Oromia, armed and intercommunal conflicts have displaced nearly 1 million people. Conflict has damaged health facilities, severely compromising basic health services, and has caused more than 1.1 million children to drop out of school. 

The October – December 2024 rainy season is likely to be one of below-average rainfall. A total of 24 zones are at risk of drought: 7 in Oromia, 10 in the Somali region and 7 in southern Ethiopia. Conversely, during the last ‘Kiremt’ season (June – September 2024), heavy rains caused landslides in Gofa Zone that displaced 24,139 individuals to temporary accommodation centres churches and schools. Female-headed households are particularly vulnerable in these circumstances due to their limited resources and inadequate protection systems. 

In 2024, Ethiopia has experienced several disease outbreaks, including cholera, measles, malaria and dengue cases. Cholera cases have surged in Afar and Oromia regions, marking a third wave of outbreaks. The measles outbreak, which has affected four regions, 24 is worsening due to low immunization coverage and caregivers’ lack of awareness about the importance of vaccination, with the outbreak further exacerbated by population displacement and access constraints.

In 2025, UNICEF will focus on assisting the most vulnerable women and children in the hardest-to-reach areas in Ethiopia. By adopting innovative, multisectoral approaches, UNICEF aims to save lives, alleviate suffering, maintain dignity and protect children's rights. 

Immediate life-saving assistance includes treatment of children with malnutrition; providing access to critical health-care services for pregnant and lactating women; provision of safe spaces for children and women, including mental health and psychosocial support; strengthening community-based structures; deployment of social workforce personnel for case management of survivors of violence and abuse, including gender-based violence; and shock-responsive humanitarian cash transfers to address the urgent needs of those newly displaced and other extremely vulnerable households. 

To meet children's education needs, UNICEF employs a nexus approach to enhance the resilience of children, teachers and communities affected by crisis. This involves implementing inclusive and gender-responsive, multisectoral and holistic programmes, such as the Bete ('my home') approach, which integrates education, child protection and life-skills interventions. 

While prioritizing immediate life-saving efforts, UNICEF will also focus on building resilient communities through climate-adaptive practices. Among these are promoting climate-smart agriculture and water conservation methods; and building resilience for the production and consumption of energy-dense diverse nutritious foods using local solutions to prevent deterioration of the nutrition status of vulnerable populations. Sustainable energy solutions – including solar-powered systems – will ensure long-term access to clean water.

UNICEF, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and development partners, is scaling up an optimized primary health care approach at the Primary Health Care Units level to enhance access to essential health services, improve household food and nutrition security, increase access to safe water and sanitation, boost quality education, empower women economically and enable communities to engage in primary health care. 

UNICEF prioritizes disability- and gender-responsive programming, focusing on the most vulnerable people. Cash transfer programming also prioritizes persons with disabilities. 

Partnerships with local women-led organizations and organizations of persons with disabilities will be strengthened during the year. And, as part of its humanitarian access strategy, UNICEF has established a new office in Nekemte, East Wollega Zone, to enhance programme quality and presence in hard-to-reach areas. 

UNICEF leads the Nutrition and WASH clusters and the Child Protection Area of Responsibility and co-leads the Education Cluster. This leadership enhances intersectoral coordination, efficiency and effectiveness in addressing immediate needs. 

In line with government-led anticipatory action for drought emergencies, UNICEF will undertake activities to prevent severe impacts of drought and enhance resilience, including strengthening mobile health clinics, conducting measles vaccinations, deploying Rapid Response Teams, maintaining water points and implementing measures to mitigate protection risks.