UN projects $2 billion for Ethiopia's 2025 humanitarian response, faces $496 million funding gap

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has estimated a provisional financial requirement of $2 billion for Ethiopia’s humanitarian response in 2025, with a funding gap of $496 million for the first half of the year.

In its latest Priority Humanitarian Response and Critical Funding Gaps report, OCHA said humanitarian needs remain high due to ongoing conflicts, climate shocks, and health emergencies.

The organisation stated that the humanitarian situation remains “critical,” particularly in conflict-affected areas such as Amhara and western Oromia, where insecurity has disrupted access to services.

OCHA also reported that protection concerns persist, including “gender-based violence, child separation, forced evictions, and destruction of property.” The presence of unexploded ordnance in some areas has also been noted.

Seismic activity in Afar and Oromia has added to the crisis, with “232 earthquakes recorded since December 2024,” OCHA said. While the likelihood of “intensified earthquakes or a volcanic eruption remains uncertain,” the report emphasized that such risks compound the challenges facing vulnerable populations.

Addis Standard previously reported that recurring seismic activity has displaced thousands across the Afar, Oromia, and Amhara regions. In Afar, many of the displaced have taken shelter at the Daido site in Amibara district after being forced to leave their homes in Awash Fentale district.

However, government efforts to relocate them to the ‘New Vision’ site in Awash Arba have been met with resistance. The pastoralist communities argue that the proposed site lacks essential resources such as water, trees for shelter and firewood, and proper sanitation facilities.

According to OCHA, climate-related challenges have also contributed to humanitarian needs. OCHA stated that the La Niña-induced October–December 2024 rains “underperformed in predominantly pastoralist areas,” leading to drought-like conditions.

The report further noted that “water shortages, food insecurity, and acute malnutrition persist in communities still recovering from the 2020–2023 drought.” OCHA added that the seasonal outlook for the March–May rains in Afar and other lowland areas remains “concerning.”

Food insecurity, OCHA stated, remains a key issue. The report noted that “malnutrition, particularly among children and women, has reached concerning levels in different parts of the country.”

Health crises are further straining humanitarian efforts, with OCHA describing Ethiopia’s ongoing cholera outbreak as “the longest in the country’s history.”

The agency also noted an increase in malaria and measles cases, stating that these health emergencies, “coupled with the lingering effects of droughts and conflicts, have further eroded the resilience of affected communities.”

Despite these challenges, OCHA said humanitarian operations continue using resources carried over from 2024 and new funding contributions for 2025. However, it warned that “financial constraints have already led to the suspension of some life-saving assistance” and that while “some elements of the response, including emergency food assistance and water provision, are expected to continue, gaps remain in other critical areas.”

The Ethiopian government and humanitarian partners, according to OCHA, have prioritized response efforts in regions where “significant response gaps” were observed in 2024 and in areas experiencing new shocks.

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