Ethiopia drought

On the ground

• 6.2 million people in need of emergency assistance
• Four successive seasons of poor rains
• Maize prices 72 per cent above the five-year average

Some of the worst-affected regions are Afar, Oromia and Amhara where the drought has resulted in severe water and food shortages.

On film: Rainwater harvesting

Oxfam's emergency programme has included building special 'birkad' rainwater harvesting tanks to help communities collect and store clean water. Mohammed Semeter from local partner UNISOD introduces one of the new birkads.

View transcript of birkad video

Learn more

• Situation overview
• Oxfam's response

A humanitarian catastrophe

This year’s rains have been late and erratic, and four successive seasons of poor rains have left the northeastern pastoralist region of Afar and the central and eastern regions of Oromia and Amhara particularly badly affected, resulting in harvest failure, deteriorating livestock health, and water shortages.

Staple foods and cereals are too expensive for most people – about 64 per cent above average – forcing them to sell vital livelihood assets such as cattle.

There are reports that severe acute malnutrition is rising, including among over 200,000 children under-five years, and the coming maize and sorghum harvests are predicted to be poor.

An outbreak of Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD)has officially led to over 6,000 reported cases and at least 127 deaths in the first half of this year. The AWD outbreak is now expected to get worse due to the rise in malnutrition and spread into high population areas. Pressure on pasture and water has been further exacerbated due to the influx of between 95-200,000 heads of livestock from drought-affected parts of Kenya.

Learn more

• Oxfam's response

Oxfam in action

Oxfam is supporting more than 110,000 vulnerable women, men and children by helping them to build and rehabilitate water resources, providing cash and food items, and assisting them to find ways of making a sustainable living.

On film: Community water points

Seido Rooble talks about her work as a member of a water committee set up by Oxfam to look after her community's new water point.

View transcript of water point video

Public health and livelihoods

Our public health initiatives include water trucking, excavation and rehabilitation of ponds and hand dug wells, along with the installation of pumps and pipelines to ensure water for human and animal consumption all around the year.

We have launched a public health promotional campaign to reduce the risk of water borne disease. Community mobilisers provide information on safe health and hygiene practices including water purification, water storage and excreta disposal through house-to-house visits as well as community gatherings. 

Our livelihood work focuses on providing cash to the most vulnerable families through mobilising communities to rebuilt water and sanitation facilities under a cash-for-work programme. In order to improve their nutritional intake, and increase their access to markets, Oxfam is providing food vouchers to families in greatest need.

Oxfam in action: Responding to drought in Ethiopia