ADDIS ABABA, June 10 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has appealed for urgent funding to respond to the growing humanitarian needs in Ethiopia.
UNICEF, in its latest Ethiopia humanitarian situation report issued late Friday, said its Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) 2023 Appeal requires 674.3 million U.S. dollars to meet the critical humanitarian needs of children, adolescents, women and men in Ethiopia.
"Including 50.9 million U.S. dollars in funds carried over from 2022, only 120.4 million U.S. dollars has been received towards the appeal to date, representing only 18 percent of the required needs to reach children and their families with critical lifesaving and life-sustaining support," UNICEF said.
Within the appeal, funding dedicated to the response in northern Ethiopia has been budgeted at 255.7 million dollars and fully incorporated into the HAC, it said.
According to UNICEF, another 345.4 million dollars within the HAC has been dedicated to responding to the severe drought that has impacted more than 24 million people across four regions.
"UNICEF continues to appeal for support to close the remaining gaps and to ensure that children and their caregivers receive lifesaving support in 2023 and beyond," it said.
Since the beginning of 2023, UNICEF said it has been able to mobilize 37.7 million dollars for the Northern Ethiopia Response Plan and 33.6 million dollars for the drought response.
UNICEF, in its report, said the ongoing heavy rainfall throughout much of southern and southeastern parts of Ethiopia exacerbated flooding in the affected regions and continues to drive displacement, impact livelihoods, and worsen the spread of cholera.
In the conflict-affected northern Ethiopia, UNICEF said its interventions aimed to improve the overall quality of healthcare services across Afar, Amhara and Tigray, supporting the provision of routine vaccinations, medical consultations, and essential health services.
