Ethiopia: Strategies & Goals
To fight hunger and malnutrition through advocacy and integrated programme delivery to vulnerable households.
Ethiopia is one of the most populous countries in Africa with a population of around 102 million. Its economy has been growing rapidly in recent years, however poverty remains high with 29.6% of the population living below the poverty line according to the World Bank. Recent droughts have also led to the deterioration of the food and nutrition security situation in the country, especially as 80 % of the population is engaged in agriculture, and humanitarian assistance continues to be essential to prevent famine in parts of the country.
Sectors of Intervention
Welthungerhilfe implements integrated programmes to enhance sustainable food and nutrition security at household level by linking up different sectors such as humanitarian assistance, disaster risk reduction and resilience building, agriculture and environment, and water, sanitation and hygiene.
Agriculture and Environment: Malnutrition continues to affect many farming families in Ethiopia. Welthungerhilfe is working with 100,000 coffee farmers in the Jimma zone in cooperation with German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Coffee Circle to diversify their crops and improve coffee production practices. Additional crops lead to improved household nutrition and greater yields of better quality coffee allow farmers to earn a higher income. Pastoralist communities who bread cattle and have a mobile lifestyle are also being supported in southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya by promoting community-led natural resource management of rangelands that are threatened by drought as well as peace building and income generation activities.
Humanitarian Assistance: In the extremely drought affected Borana region in South Ethiopia, Welthungerhilfe is supporting internally displaced people, host communities and vulnerable households with unconditional cash transfers and distribution of water treatment and hygiene kits. Pastoral communities in the Borana region are also vulnerable to drought and the distribution of cattle feed and veterinary drugs like vaccinations are ensuring their most important resources are protected and they can continue their livelihood after the crisis.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: Clean drinking water, sanitation facilities and good hygiene practices are essential for food security, therefore it is a key sector for Welthungerhilfe’s work in Ethiopia. In the East Gojam Zone of the country, safe water and sanitation coverage is being extended and hygiene standards improved by working together with communities, the local government and local partner organisations.