UN calls for addressing food insecurity in Ethiopia's conflict affected parts

ADDIS ABABA, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) called for urgent need to address food insecurity and nutrition needs of people affected by the conflict in northern Ethiopia.

The UNOCHA said in its latest northern Ethiopian humanitarian situation update realised on Monday that emergency humanitarian support should prioritize the most vulnerable segments of the conflict-affected people.

The UNOCHA said the conflict has affected all genders, ages, and people at-risk and marginalized groups differently.

It emphasized the critical need to ensure food and non-food items distribution are sensitive to age, gender and ability; and that vulnerable groups are prioritized.

It emphasized the need to invest in rebuilding health care services, including urgently increasing funding for sexual and reproductive health, rights and mental health services. It further stressed the importance of reducing barriers for marginalized groups, including internally displaced peoples (IDPs), to access these services.

It called for increasing the safety and security of all vulnerable groups through protection mechanisms.

According to figures from the UNOCHA, the escalating conflict in northern Ethiopia left over 5.2 million people in Tigray region alone in dire need of humanitarian assistance, including 2.1 million IDPs.

Last week, the UNOCHA had disclosed that more than 2.93 million children across Ethiopia remain out of school due to a combination of conflict and drought. It said 2.53 million children drop out of school due to conflict and 401,000 children are out of school because of drought.

It stated that about 85 percent of schools in Ethiopia's Tigray region need desks and blackboards, as well as 4,400 schools in parts of Ethiopia's Afar and Amhara regions.

"Generally, high humanitarian needs are likely to continue well into 2023 due to expanding drought and increased violence," the UNOCHA disclosed.

The UNOCHA report also disclosed that 20 million people in Ethiopia, including 13 million people in northern Ethiopia, have been identified to be food insecure and in need of food assistance.