Ethiopia
Background
Ethiopia is a country of 1,104,300 square kilometers and 99 million inhabitants. 30% of the population live below the poverty threshold, despite several years of steady economic growth. The infant mortality rate is 44 deaths per 1.000 births
Ethiopia is currently in a state of humanitarian emergency. The country is seriously affected by climate change, and farmers and pastoralists struggle to recover from an El Niño-induced drought.
Whereas 80% of the inhabitants rely on agriculture and livestock for their livelihoods, Ethiopia has just experienced ist worst agricultural season in decades. Consequently, 5.6 million people are in a situation of food insecurity, as reported by the FAO.
Our projects take place in the Somali Region, where the forecasts indicate, that new droughts are emerging. A combination of factors account for the precarious situation of this area.
- On the one hand, extreme weather patterns contribute to rangeland degradation; however, rangelands are crucial during the dry season.
- On the other hand, migration of nomads from neighboring zones lead to an increasing population pressure and the deterioration of living conditions.
Under these difficult circumstances, a lack of proper veterinarian care can rapidly lead to the spread of livestock diseases, which have direct consequences on the pastoralists who are dependent on healthy animals.
The activity of VSF-Suisse in Ethiopia consists, among other things, in providing livestock to the populations in need and strengthening animal healthcare, but also in securing the livelihoods of the most vulnerable people in order to enhance their capacities of resilience.
Topics
On the ground since: 2010
Operational presence in: Addis Abeba, Moyale, Warder,Jigjiga, Dire Dawa und Gode
Projects: 15
Key partners: SDC, Ethiopian Humanitarian Fund, GIZ, European Union, UN FAO, Swiss Solidarity, IFPRI, Cordaid, COOPI, ACPA, RACIDA, ILRI, CCM
Staff: 31
Ethiopia
Reference projects Ethiopia
News
Update on the desert locust situation and its impact on the people in the greater Horn of Africa
Image © FAO Desert locusts remain present across the greater Horn of Africa (HoA). Although current swarms are smaller and less numerous, the impact on affected communities remains high and may lead to increased vulnerability of pastoralist and agro-pastoralist...
The fight against Covid-19 in our partner countries continues
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The locust plague in the Horn of Africa is far from over
Since December 2019, the countries of the Horn of Africa have been fighting the worst plague of locusts in the last 25 years. And Kenya, for example, has not seen a plague of this magnitude in the last 70 years! Benefiting from the long rainy season, the desert...