Starvation threatens millions in Ethiopia: UN

The United Nations (UN) has warned that millions of people in Ethiopia, including children, are in danger of starvation as the African country faces dire food shortages.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned Thursday that a break in food deliveries to the country could leave huge numbers without life saving aid.

“We need urgent, rapid action to scale up our support to the Ethiopian government and people,” the OCHA said in a report.

“Without additional resources, the food sector projects a full pipeline break in a couple of months,” read the report. “The country is once again facing devastating climatic conditions: rains have failed; millions of people need food aid; children are suffering from severe malnutrition.”

At least 10.2 million people need food aid in Ethiopia, a figure that the UN said could rise sharply.

The El Nino weather phenomenon sparked a dramatic rise in the number of people going hungry in East Africa. It has caused entire harvests to be lost in some regions in the region.

In another report, the OCHA warned earlier this month that Ethiopia “is once again facing devastating climatic conditions: rains have failed; millions of people need food aid; children are suffering from severe malnutrition.”