Ethiopia

Poor Rainfall, Skyrocketing Food Prices & Malnutrition

Natural disasters like droughts, floods and insect infestations are a major threat to Ethiopian livelihood.

According to the 2007/2008 United Nations Human Development Report (HDR), 93 percent of Ethiopians are employed in the agriculture sector. So when natural disasters occurs, the vast majority of the country suffers.

Lack of rain and depleted water sources left entire villages without water for crops, livestock, drinking, or sanitation.

Irregular rainfall also led to abnormal migration patterns and skyrocketing food prices.

The price of staples like rice nearly doubled from March 2008 to May 2008, while economic production and employment levels dropped drastically.

To cope with this situation, many Ethiopian households began reducing the number of meals they consume and the amount of food they eat, resulting in increasing levels of malnourishment among children and the elderly.

Working with partners such as the European Commission – Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Islamic Relief responded by initiating a Nutrition Improvement Project to benefit more than 2,700 beneficiaries.

Nutritional supplements and medical care were provided for thousands of malnourished women and children.
Despite the generosity of countless donors, thousands of Ethiopians continue to struggle for survival.

Please donate today to help Islamic Relief continue providing services for the world’s most impoverished populations.

Increasing Poverty & the Food Crisis

One of the oldest independent countries in Africa, Ethiopia is also one of the poorest, ranking 105th out of 108 developing nations, according to the United Nations Human Development Index.

More than three-quarters of Ethiopians live on less than $2 a day, and about one-quarter lives on less than $1 a day, according to the HDR.

The UN also found that nearly 78 percent of the country’s population does not have access to a clean water sources.

Islamic Relief responded to this crisis with emergency projects in water and nutrition, supplementary food and livestock recovery.

So far, Islamic Relief has been successful in assisting more than 78,000 people, but thousands more require assistance.

Please donate today to help maintain Islamic Relief’s services in Ethiopia.

Islamic Relief in Ethiopia

Islamic Relief launched operations in Ethiopia in response to severe droughts in 2000, 2001 and 2002.

After years of emergency relief operations in the country, an official Islamic Relief field office was opened in Ethiopia in January, 2004.

Soon thereafter, Islamic Relief began implementing long-term development projects.

Working with local communities, Islamic Relief began to improve access to education, healthcare, water and sanitation in the area.

Islamic Relief also launched several projects aimed at developing livelihoods and food security, as well as strengthening the capacity of local organizations.