UN Agencies, Gov't Appeal for $73m in Refugee Funding


UN Agencies, Gov't Appeal for $73m in Refugee Funding

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the Refugees & Returnees Service are appealing for 73 million dollars in funding to provide food to over 750,000 refugees in Ethiopia. Funding shortfalls have already forced the WFP to cut rations for refugees residing in 22 camps and five sites in the Afar, Amhara, Benishangul-Gumuz, Gambella, Somali, and Tigray regional states.  The Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State hosts the highest number of camps and refugees, while refugees from South Sudan comprise 46pc of the refugee population. Food rations fell by 16pc in November 2015, by 40pc last November, and by half in June 2022. The lack of funding and prevailing global food strains brought on by the pandemic and Russia's war in Ukraine, pose a serious risk to refugees. A study conducted by the UN agencies and the Service found that households in refugee camps are coping by reducing the number of meals they eat, consuming less appealing food, engaging themselves and children in income-generating activities, and borrowing cash.

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