he U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced an additional$88 million in humanitarian assistance for Ethiopia today to address the humanitarian crisis resulting from the impacts of the El Niño phenomenon. The additional aid brings the total U.S. humanitarian assistance for Ethiopia to more than $435 million since the start of fiscal year 2015and increases funding for nutrition, water, food, sanitation, and hygiene support. Ethiopia is facing a humanitarian crisis as consecutive seasons of below-normal rainfall-exacerbated by the effects of El Niño-has lowered agricultural production, decimated livestock, and deteriorated food security and nutrition conditions in some parts of the country. Ethiopia currently has one of the largest food insecure populations in the world, which has increased dramatically since August 2015, as it is experiencing one of the worst droughts in decades. By early 2016, the Government of Ethiopia estimates that 10.2 million people will be in need of relief food assistance. This is in addition to 7.9 million chronically food insecure covered by the Government of Ethiopia-led Productive Safety Net Program, supported by USAID and the donor community.
