Ethiopia is facing a perfect storm with soaring food prices and a devastating drought... we hear the government's plea, support it, and are moving to reach all we can. WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is expanding operations to reach 4.6 million people in Ethiopia with emergency food assistance, in response to the government's urgent appeal for food and nutrition assistance to avoid hunger-related deaths in coming months.

"Ethiopia is facing a perfect storm with soaring food prices and a devastating drought," said WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran. "We hear the government's plea, support it, and are moving to reach all we can."

Deputy Prime Minister Addisu Legesse told parliament earlier this week that the government needs an additional $430 million to address food shortages. WFP is now providing emergency food assistance to 3.2 million people in Ethiopia. In the coming months, WFP, the world's largest humanitarian agency, will scale up but at the same time it urgently needs additional contributions to reach all those in need.

WFP has a shortfall of 369,000 metric tons of food valued at US$300 million from July through December and also needs to repay US$31.7 million in internal advances. WFP also plans to provide food assistance for 2.4 million people living in drought-affected areas under the development-oriented Productive Safety Net Programme.

WFP will support the government in supplying emergency nutritional support to 750,000 of the most vulnerable, including children, pregnant mothers and HIV-AIDs patients. WFP supports UNICEF's urgent action to provide therapeutic feeding to 75,000 severely malnourished children. The government of Ethiopia estimates that about one-third of the funds necessary to manage the unfolding crisis have been received.

"The government of Ethiopia has been building innovative safety nets to ensure the most vulnerable are receiving targeted help," Sheeran said. "But these programmes are now overwhelmed. We aim to help the government scale up quickly."

Ethiopia is one of five countries in the Horn of Africa hit by the double calamity of soaring prices and extended drought. Countries such as Somalia also suffer from conflict and instability, further exacerbating the urgent crisis.