The drought relief effort in Ethiopia needs about $500 million to support programmes beyond April aimed at providing support to 10.2 million people facing severe food shortage, the U.N. World Food Programme said on Thursday.
The El Niño weather system, on the back of 12 to 18 months of erratic or failed rains, has caused the worst drought in Ethiopia since the mid 1980s. Parts of Ethiopia are facing the worst drought in thirty years.
The government, WFP and a group of charitable organizations are working on the relief effort incollaboration with the government.
An estimated $1.4 billion is expected to be spent in 2016 to cover relief food and other requirements in Ethiopia.