Ethiopia

The food security situation in Ethiopia has deteriorated to alarming levels in the wake of drought conditions throughout much of the country, and relief agencies are grappling with shortages of supplies, the UN warned Sept. 8. Some 4.6 million Ethiopians are in need of food aid due to a combination of drought and high food prices, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Successive droughts have resulted in a drop in crop production that in turn have led to a surge in food prices – up to 500 per cent in some parts of the country – over the past year. (UN News Service)