On 11 April, 2016, Ethiopia Satellite Television (ESAT) released a news item claiming that the Ethiopian government had stopped the fundraising campaign by UN agencies. According to the report, this message was conveyed in a meeting between a representative of United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Special Envoy for the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Ambassador Behane Gebrekiristos. OCHA Ethiopia hereby states strongly that the story is false. OCHA did not speak to this media house and the government never told OCHA to stop the campaign.
OCHA greatly appreciates the close collaboration between the Government of Ethiopia and humanitarian partners to ensure timely and appropriate response to those affected by the El Niño-driven drought in the country.
Ethiopia is contending with one of the most serious climatic shocks in recorded history. More than ten million people in the country remain severely food insecure due to lost harvests and livestock as a result of consecutive failed rains in 2015. Whilst the Government and the international community have already provided more than $800 million in emergency funding, which has helped alleviate the suffering of many, critical gaps remain. This is why the Humanitarian Country Team in collaboration with the Government of Ethiopia launched a 90-Day Campaign on March 23, 2016 with the aim to urgently raise funds and in-kind support to address the significant life-saving gaps. The 90-Day campaign recognizes that urgent and substantial funding is required to address current needs and protect the development gains the Government and its development partners have worked tirelessly to build up over decades.
Issued 28 April 2016, by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA); Ethiopia
