The World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Tuesday that it will suspend life-saving nutrition support for 650,000 malnourished women and children in Ethiopia due to a critical lack of funding. The agency warned that without urgent new contributions, food assistance for 3.6 million people in the country could be cut off in the coming weeks.
“WFP is being forced to halt treatment for 650,000 malnourished women and children in May due to insufficient funding,” the UN agency said in a statement. It had aimed to reach two million women and children with nutritional support in 2025.
This suspension comes amid broader global aid cutbacks, notably following an executive order by U.S. President Donald Trump that froze all foreign aid for three months shortly after his inauguration in January. Several Western nations have also scaled back their aid budgets.
Ethiopia, home to around 130 million people, is currently grappling with a worsening humanitarian crisis. More than 10 million people are facing acute food insecurity, as the country reels from the aftermath of a devastating civil war and ongoing regional conflicts.
The two-year war between Ethiopian federal forces and Tigrayan rebels, which ended in November 2022, claimed at least 600,000 lives. One million people—about one-sixth of Tigray’s population—remain displaced. Meanwhile, violence continues in Ethiopia’s largest regions, Amhara and Oromia, displacing hundreds of thousands more and severely limiting humanitarian access.
The WFP highlighted that ongoing insecurity is restricting its ability to reach over 500,000 vulnerable people. At the same time, Ethiopia is experiencing an influx of refugees from Sudan, which has been embroiled in civil war since April 2023, and from South Sudan, plagued by years of instability.
Unless fresh funding arrives, cash and food support for up to one million refugees in Ethiopia will also end by June. The agency noted that rising numbers of refugees, particularly from South Sudan, are straining already limited resources.
Additionally, Ethiopia is battling severe drought conditions, especially in its Somali region along the Somali border—exacerbating food shortages and humanitarian needs.
The WFP estimates a $222 million funding gap for Ethiopia for the period from April to September.
“This is a critical moment to remind the international community that Ethiopia’s humanitarian situation is worsening—and will continue to deteriorate without immediate support,” said Zlatan Milisic, WFP’s country director in Ethiopia, speaking to AFP.
The warning comes as global development assistance faces broader declines. According to the OECD, global aid dropped by 7.1% between 2023 and 2024—the first decrease in six years—as countries trimmed their budgets in response to economic pressures.