Addressing a news conference in New York Wednesday, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the U.N. chief, said that in Ethiopia, the eastern and southern regions of the country have continued to reel under the impact of devastating drought.
The agency said, just in recent weeks, tens of thousands of people have also fled violence in Somaliland to the Somali region of Ethiopia. To address the issue, Dujarric said the U.N. has called for billions to provide assistance.
“We, along with our partners and the government, launched an appeal for nearly $4 billion to reach more than 20 million people in Ethiopia this year with critical assistance, including food, nutrition support, health services and other vital aid,” he said.
In northern Ethiopia, the U.N. noted improvements in access to humanitarian aid after warring parties reached a deal to end hostilities after a two-year war.
Since mid-November, the global body said it has sent nearly 180,000 tons of food and other aid to Tigray, adding that more than 8.5 million people are now targeted for food assistance across Afar, Amhara and Tigray.
Dujarric said that in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, clashes between the Congolese army and the M23 rebels continue in the east of the country. He said the head of the U.N. mission to the country is currently in Goma, the capital of the North Kivu province, to request a continuation of its peacekeeping mission.
The U.N. said it continues to support those affected by Tropical Cyclone Freddy in Madagascar, which has “almost 150,000 who are in need of humanitarian assistance.”
“The number of people displaced by the cyclone has increased to nearly 38,000, according to the authorities. Hundreds of schools have been damaged, as well as health centers,” Dujarric said.
