WFP to suspend aid for women, children in Ethiopia

The World Food Programme is forced to suspend aid for 650,000 malnourished women and children in Ethiopia from May, due to lack of funding, the United Nations agency said on Tuesday.

The organisation warned that, without urgent new funding, 3.6 million people could lose access to food assistance in Ethiopia in the coming weeks.

WFP Country Director in Ethiopia, Zlatan Milišić said, “The situation has become untenable, and WFP has no other choice but to cut life-saving support.”

The Eastern African country is especially vulnerable to food insecurity, with more than 10 million of its people facing hunger and malnutrition.

The World Food Programme also alerted about the risk of drought, which could further raise the urgency for humanitarian action.

Ethiopia, with its population of over 125 million people, had been the biggest beneficiary of US aid in sub-Saharan Africa, receiving $1.8 billion in the 2023 financial year.

Other Western countries, including in Europe, have also cut their foreign aid budgets.

The World Food Programme in Ethiopia said it faces a funding shortfall of US$222 million between April and September 2025.

“We need a swift and generous donor response to ensure the country’s most vulnerable people get the assistance they need,” said Zlatan Milišić.

Africanews/Kamila