UN Warn Funding Gaps Threaten 1.1 Million Refugees in Ethiopia

By Abdullahi Salad - Reporter

Ethiopia, 20 December 2024 United Nations agencies and the Ethiopian government have warned that severe funding gaps are putting the lives of more than 1.1 million refugees in Ethiopia at risk, with essential services likely to halt within weeks unless urgent financing is secured.

In a joint statement, the Refugees and Returnees Service, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the World Food Programme (WFP) said the financial shortfall has pushed the refugee response to a “breaking point,” according to local media reports.

The agencies noted that Ethiopia, Africa’s second-largest refugee-hosting country, has seen growing arrivals driven by ongoing conflict in Sudan and South Sudan, as well as drought-related displacement from Somalia, while funding levels have dropped sharply. As a result, emergency relief supplies have declined by around 70 percent during 2025.

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Teyiba Hassan, Director General of the Refugees and Returnees Service, said Ethiopia has continued to uphold its commitments to refugee protection despite mounting pressure, stressing that “this heavy responsibility cannot be borne by the government alone.”

She warned that national resources are being depleted and the burden on host communities is increasing, urging international partners to act swiftly to close the funding gap and prevent a collapse of life-saving services.

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