Local officials informed the BBC that over 50 individuals have lost their lives in Ethiopia’s Tigray and Amhara regions due to hunger induced by a severe drought.
Reports from Tigray’s Disaster Risk Management office revealed that 46 displaced individuals died after fleeing their homes due to drought-related conditions. The fatalities occurred in Yechila, as confirmed by Gebrehiwot Gebregziabher, the head of the office.
In the adjacent Amhara region’s Wag Hemra area, at least six people and 4,000 cattle succumbed due to food shortages stemming from the drought, as stated by a local official.
The US and the UN suspended food aid to Ethiopia for more than five months over allegations of widespread theft. This suspension worsened the humanitarian crises in a country already grappling with conflict and extreme weather conditions, leaving millions reliant on aid.
While severe drought affects parts of northern Ethiopia, the country’s southern and eastern regions anticipate unusually heavy rainfall. Recent UN data shows that over 40 people have died in floods and landslides, particularly impacting the eastern Somali region.
