(Addis Ababa, 24 May 2018): The Government of Ethiopia and humanitarian partners have released updated immediate humanitarian funding priorities, highlighting the most critical gaps in the Ethiopia Humanitarian and Disaster Resilience Plan (HDRP). The priorities have been established through a consultative review with Government Line Ministries, key UN and NGO partners; US$280.4 million urgently required to ensure response for the coming six months.

"Through this exercise we have particularly focused on the need to further scale up response to over I million people displaced as result of conflict in the last 12 months. The Government of Ethiopia has shown commendable leadership in seeking durable solutions for this group, including already relocating several thousand people, however the need for an expanded response in current places of displacement remains high.' Says the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa-Onochie.

The prioritized interventions include support to Government to deliver emergency health and nutrition services, expand water and sanitation facilities, improve access to education, and ensure improvements in basic living conditions. `We are counting on continued donor generosity to meet the urgent humanitarian challenges facing IDPs and millions of Ethiopians yet to recover from two years of back to back drought,' says Ms. Eziakonwa-Onochie.

Overall, the Ethiopia Humanitarian and Disaster Resilience Plan (HDRP) for 2018 seeks US$1.66 billion to address the residual effects of two years of back-to-back drought, as well as to address flooding and conflict-related displacements. The HDRP targets 7.88 million people with emergency food/cash and non-food assistance, and is currently 34 per cent funded, including $182 million from Government, $165 million of confirmed funding from donors, with further indicative pledges of $189 million.

The HDRP is presented around a three-pillared framework primarily highlighting immediate humanitarian plans and requirements, along with actions that will enable the current response, and reduce humanitarian requirements over the course of 2018 and for years to come.

"The Government of Ethiopia is now taking concrete steps to implement a disaster risk management (DRM) approach to address recurrent humanitarian needs across the country. While we strive to move in that direction, today, we still need the support of our international partners to reach millions of drought-affected people, and those recently displaced by conflict and flooding," said Mr. Mitiku Kassa, Commissioner of the National Disaster Risk Management Commission (NDRMC).

For further information, please contact:

Choice Okoro; Head Strategic Communications Unit, Cell. +251-911216465 Email: okoroc@un.org

Malda Nadew; National Information Office, Cell. +251-929034346. Email: nadew@un.org

Mengistu Dargie; National Public Information and Reporting Officer Cell: +251-911-742381 Email: dargie@un.org