• Approximately 25 million people affected
• Availability of food severely limited owing to a combination of crop failure and rising prices
• Situation expected to worsen in the coming months

The worst-affected regions at present are Afar, Somali, Oromiya and SNNPR (Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region)where the drought has resulted in severe water and food shortages.

You can help: donate now

Oxfam is supporting more than 50,000 vulnerable women, men and children by providing water, food, and a means of earning a living.

Oxfam in action: Responding to drought in Ethiopia

Learn more

• Situation overview
• Oxfam's response

An unimaginable situation

Successive years of poor rains have left many pastoralists in Ethiopia increasingly vulnerable. Many communities are yet to recover fully from the significant drought of 2004.

Due to the regional nature of the drought, pastoralist communities are not able to find pasture and water in surrounding areas. Livestock losses have been significant – up to 100 per cent in some areas. Terms of trade are also unfavourable for pastoralists who have seen the price of food triple, and the value of their livestock halve.

Increased food prices due to decreased local, regional and global supply, global price increases and poor harvests have meant that whole communities are suffering. Many families are being forced to reduce the quantity and frequency of meals; women in particular are affected by this as in many parts of Ethiopia they eat what is left over from the meals of the children and men. Moreover, access to water, let alone clean water, is increasingly limited in many areas.

Learn more

• Oxfam's response

Oxfam's response

Oxfam is supporting more than 50,000 vulnerable women, men and children living in drought-affected areas of Ethiopia by providing water, food, and a means of earning a living.

Oxfam in action: Responding to drought in Ethiopia

In Afar, the main aim of our work is to provide emergency assistance with water trucking to an estimated 15,000 people. We will also be carrying out veterinary interventions and supplementary feeding to an estimated 30,000 animals belonging to 1,500 households. Water trucking will be for communities and livestock, and animal feed will be provided to breeding stock.

The main aim of our programme in Ayisha is to provide emergency water and support to procure food items and veterinary assistance to 40,000 drought affected people and goats

The water needs in many parts of Ayisha are acute. Good water sources should be rehabilitated now in order to mitigate long-term shortage of rain, to improve the availability of water immediately, and to prepare capacity to respond to increased water needs.

You can help

Donate now to Oxfam's East Africa Food Crisis appeal