Hunger and malnutrition are on the rise in Ethiopia due to conflict, severe drought, mass displacement and regional economic and political turmoil that’s left millions of people without access to food. That’s according to the World Food Programme, which estimates over 10 million people are facing hunger and malnutrition across Ethiopia, many of whom have been forced from their homes due to violence and the devastating impacts of the climate crisis. The agency warns conditions could likely worsen as its lifesaving food assistance response in Ethiopia is at imminent risk due to critical funding shortages — including cuts in U.S. foreign assistance.

Zlatan Milišić: “Now we are at the breaking point. We’ve been left no choice but to suspend completely the treatment for 650,000 malnourished women and children, simply because we’ve run out of commodities and funding. … We are now operating with just about 50% of last year’s funding. This means that 3.6 million vulnerable people could lose access to WFP assistance in the coming weeks, unless funding arrives urgently.”