WFP Ethiopia Country Brief, March 2022

In Numbers

3.5 million people assisted

USD 2.9 million cash-based transfers provided

USD 597 million (April - September 2022) net funding requirements

36,356 mt of food assistance distributed

Operational Updates

• In March, WFP provided assistance to 3.5 million people, including those affected by drought and floods, internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees, malnourished women and children. WFP also continued to provide life-saving food and nutrition assistance in conflict-affected Northern Ethiopia.

Relief

• In the Tigray Region, WFP delivered emergency food assistance to 60,231 people. WFP provided food and nutrition assistance to 188,308 (in Afar), and 161,332 (in Amhara), internally displaced persons (IDPs) and food insecure people in host communities in March.

• In the Somali Region, WFP continued to provide food assistance to IDPs, and people affected by drought, but with reduced ration of cereal due to funding shortage. WFP assisted 1.55 million people with 20,298 mt of food and USD 1.8 million in cash-based transfers (CBT) during March.

Nutrition

• In March, WFP provided treatment of moderate acute malnutrition and prevention of wasting to 544,651 children under five, as well as pregnant and lactating women and girls (PLWG) through distribution of 1,540 mt of specialized nutritious foods under targeted supplementary feeding (TSF) and blanket supplementary feeding (BSF) activities.
  Support to Refugees

• WFP supported 681,696 refugees with 7,574 mt of in-kind food assistance and USD 339,781 cash-based transfers (CBT) in 24 refugee camps across Ethiopia in March. Critical funding shortfalls resulted in refugees receiving only 60 percent rations.

Support to Refugees

• WFP supported 681,696 refugees with 7,574 mt of in-kind food assistance and USD 339,781 cash-based transfers (CBT) in 24 refugee camps across Ethiopia in March. Critical funding shortfalls resulted in refugees receiving only 60 percent rations.

School Feeding

• In March, WFP’s on-site school feeding activities reached 221,406 school children with 574 mt of food. WFP supported 48,265 children through its home-grown school feeding initiative using locally procured food commodities.

Fresh Food Vouchers (FFV)

• The FFV Programme supports households with PLWG and children under the age of two to access fresh food and improve their dietary diversity. In March, WFP provided fresh food digital vouchers to 50,522 women and children in Amhara region.
  Livelihoods

• To strengthen the livelihoods of communities, WFP supported over 5,650 people through its resilience building and livelihood activities. Under this initiative, activities included provision of fishery equipment to 132 fishery people and procurement of seed (maize, haricot bean/red beans) for 200 households in Gambella region ahead of the cropping season.

Climate Risk Management

• To mitigate risks posed by the desert locust invasion, flooding and other climate shocks, WFP conducted targeting of vulnerable smallholder farmers in Somali region. In March, 245 (72 female and 100 refugee) households were identified for the agricultural input support interventions.

Supply chain

• WFP dispatched six convoys with 2.6 mt of relief commodities within the Afar region.

• In Amhara region, WFP dispatched 7,109 mt of relief commodities throughout Amhara Region.

• WFP continued to support the Bureau of Education with over 275 mt of school feeding commodities dispatched from Kombolcha, using WFP fleet trucks.

• As part of WFP’s Service Provision, WFP provided 801 litres and 2040 litres of fuel to humanitarian partners in Gode and Assosa, respectively.

Accountability to Affected Populations

• In March, WFP recorded 577 cases from Addis Ababa, Afar, Amhara, Gambella, Oromia, SNNPR, Somali and Tigray through the community feedback and response mechanisms of the toll-free helpline, helpdesk tools -logbook and a tally sheet and monitoring. The reported cases mainly focussed on distribution delays, ration cuts and inclusion errors - most cases have been fully closed.

Cross-border Assistance to South Sudan

• WFP Ethiopia continued to support WFP’s operations in South Sudan through river and road deliveries. Airdrop operations have been suspended from November to date due to operational challenges.

United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS)

• In March, UNHAS transported 295 mt of humanitarian cargo and 704 passengers within Ethiopia.