Addis Ababa/Geneva – April 23, 2025 — The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has been forced to suspend life-saving malnutrition treatment for more than 650,000 women and children in Ethiopia this week, citing a critical shortfall in funding. The move raises urgent concerns as millions more remain at risk of losing access to humanitarian assistance in the months ahead.
Speaking during a press briefing from Addis Ababa, WFP Country Director Zlatan Milisic warned that the agency’s operations have reached “breaking point.” Despite previously receiving partial exemptions from global aid freezes—including those implemented under U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration—the WFP has seen a significant decline in contributions from its 15–20 major donors, including the United States.
“We’ve been left with no choice but to suspend treatment for 650,000 malnourished women and children,” Milisic said. “We have simply run out of both commodities and funding.”
The cutbacks affect some of Ethiopia’s most vulnerable populations, particularly in the conflict-scarred northern regions of Tigray and Afar, according to a WFP spokesperson. The agency is urgently appealing for additional resources to resume services and avoid further disruption to its nutrition and food security programmes.
The consequences of inaction could be catastrophic. WFP estimates that approximately 3.6 million people may lose access to essential assistance—including critical malnutrition interventions—if fresh funding does not materialize by June.
Ethiopia remains one of the world’s most acute hunger hotspots. More than 10 million people in the country face severe food insecurity, including 3 million displaced by internal conflict, prolonged drought, and the spillover effects of the ongoing crisis in neighbouring Sudan.
The situation has been compounded by the aftermath of Ethiopia’s 2020–2022 civil war in Tigray and the Horn of Africa’s worst drought in over four decades in 2022, both of which have eroded livelihoods and strained humanitarian capacities.
“As the needs escalate, our ability to respond is rapidly diminishing,” Milisic added. “Without immediate international support, the lives of millions—particularly women and children—hang in the balance.”
WFP continues to engage with donors and global partners in an effort to mobilize emergency funding to sustain its mission in Ethiopia.
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