The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) stated on Tuesday that malnutrition levels in Ethiopia have reached alarming rates, with 4.4 million pregnant women and children urgently in need of medical and nutritional assistance.
Zlatan Milisic, WFP’s Country Director in Ethiopia, speaking at a press briefing held at the UN headquarters in Geneva, revealed that child malnutrition in the Somali, Oromia, Afar, and Tigray regions has surpassed the emergency threshold of 15%.
“Ethiopia is facing consecutive crises,” said Milisic. He added, “What’s particularly concerning is that drought, conflict, and refugee displacement are emerging threats that can easily overwhelm the already vulnerable population.”
More than 10 million people across Ethiopia are suffering from severe food insecurity, with 3 million displaced by conflict and climate change, Milisic reported.
Although WFP delivered food and nutritional aid to over 3 million people in early 2025, the agency announced it was forced to halt malnutrition treatment for 650,000 women and children due to critical funding shortages.
Furthermore, humanitarian operations intended for 800,000 refugees—including 100,000 from Sudan—are in serious jeopardy, as food and cash assistance are expected to run out by June.
WFP is now appealing for $222 million to sustain its operations through September, aiming to reach 7.2 million people in 2025.
“We have the teams, vehicles, and operational capacity to address this crisis,” said Milisic. “What we lack is the financial support to respond at the necessary scale.” said Milisic
