Agency requires USD 20m to sustain operations through June 2025
Emergency Shelter Non-food item Cluster is the latest humanitarian agency to raise the alarm over funding shortfalls, calling for at least USD 20.2 million to deliver emergency shelter and non-food items to hundreds of thousands of people it says are in dire need.
A report on ReliefWeb, a digital humanitarian news aggregator, states ES NFI urgently requires the funding to reach more than 330,000 individuals between now and June 2025. The funding is necessary to stabilize operations, close critical gaps, and scale up the response where it is needed most, ES NFI said in the report.
“Ethiopia’s humanitarian shelter and NFI [Non-Food Items] needs remain critical, driven by prolonged instability and sustained displacement. Hundreds of thousands of people continue to live in overcrowded, unsafe, and deteriorating conditions, with limited access to essential items and services. Many shelter structures have exceeded their intended lifespan, and NFI gaps persist due to a prolonged absence of replenishments,” it reads.
The agency indicated that it has only managed to reach five percent of its annual aid provision target to date despite slashing its operational scope by 38 percent compared to 2024.
The low performance, the report says, is down to a drop in donor funding, notably from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
“There are currently no contingency stockpiles at the national or sub-national level,” it reads. “This lack of pre-positioned supplies combined with pipeline disruptions and a reduced field presence has severely compromised the Cluster’s ability to respond to urgent shelter needs or rapid deteriorations in living conditions. Meanwhile, local procurement has become increasingly unfeasible due to inflation, poor-quality goods, and fragile supply chains.”
According to ES NFI’s statement, the convergence of deteriorating conditions, underfunding, and constrained response capacity is intensifying risks for already vulnerable populations.
“Women, children, persons with disabilities, older people, and those living in congested shelter environments face increased exposure to health hazards, protection threats, and further marginalization,” it reads.
Last month, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced it was pausing treatment for 650,000 malnourished women and children in Ethiopia in light of funding shortfalls.
Washington’s aid freeze prompted the Federal Disaster Risk Management Commission to introduce plans for the Ethiopian Disaster Risk Response Fund, which its officials say will support disaster risk reduction, response, and rehabilitation efforts and help the country ease its dependence on foreign aid.
The fund would be financed through mandatory contributions from public and private sectors through a new tax, according to a new bill proposed by the federal government.
The concept has stirred up controversy, as many view the fund as unrealistic in the face of high inflation and low wages.
