WFP Ethiopia Country Brief, February 2025

In Numbers

2.5 million people assisted

USD 1.5 million cash-based transfers provided

18,517 metric tonnes (MT) of food distributed

USD 228 million net funding requirement for six months (March – August 2025)

Operational Updates

Relief Response

• WFP provided food and nutrition assistance to 658,936 people, 91 percent of the targeted 723,420 in the Afar, Amhara, Somali, Tigray, and Oromia regions. This support included the distribution of 6,511 metric tons (MT) of food and the disbursement of USD 394,209 through cashbased transfers (CBT).
• An estimated 1.34 million people in WFP operational areas are in need of food assistance in the first quarter of 2025 (January to March) according to the Household Economic Assessment (HEA). Due to limited resources, WFP is prioritizing acutely food-insecure people in HEA Phase 4 and Phase 5 woredas, as well as internally displaced persons and returnees.
• Due to resource shortfalls, WFP provided 65 percent of the standard ration in February, distributing 9 kg of cereals, 1 kg of pulses, and 1.1 kg of vegetable oil. A return to full rations is not expected soon without additional funding.
• In response to continuing seismic activity in Afar and Oromia, WFP provided 81,120 people with pulses, oil and cash to address the immediate food security needs of those impacted by the earthquakes.

Refugees Assistance

• WFP provided food assistance to 797,627 refugees, achieving 93 percent of the planned caseload across 29 camps and sites, distributing 8,978 MT of in-kind food and USD 291,179 in cash assistance.
• Of those assisted, 78 percent in 20 camps received fully in-kind support, while 22 percent in 9 camps received a hybrid (cash and food) transfer.
• Refugees received rations at 60 percent of the standard food basket, except for newly arrived Sudanese refugees, who received full rations.
• In February 2025, approximately 71,513 refugee children enrolled in primary schools across 19 camps received school meals.
• A total of 23,845 people (19,345 children under five and 4,500 pregnant and breastfeeding women) received nutritious commodities through targeted supplementary feeding, while 23,537 people (17,867 children aged 6–59 months and 5,670 pregnant and breastfeeding women) were reached through blanket supplementary feeding.

Nutrition Activities

• To rehabilitate moderately malnourished children and pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls (PBW) in nine regions, WFP provided 2,407 MT of specialized nutritious foods to 595,808 people under the management of moderate wasting programme. Through the voucher modality, 38,196 beneficiaries received USD 343,761 to purchase locally available nutritious foods
• Reaching 73 percent of the February target, allocations primarily consisted of Ready-to-Use Supplementary Food (RUSF) for children under five due to an ongoing Super Cereal Plus shortfall – due to both unavailability of the product in the country and a funding issue.
• For the prevention of stunting and malnutrition among PBW and children aged 6-23 months, WFP distributed fresh food vouchers to 46,925 people (100 percent of the target, while providing social and behavioural change communication to 9,008 women and men, reaching 70 percent of the target.