UNICEF faces funding gap to meet needs of 9.9m people in Ethiopia

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Monday disclosed it has only received 22 percent of the 351 million U.S. dollars it requires to meet the needs of 9.9 million people in Ethiopia, reported Xinhua.

In a Humanitarian Situation report it published, UNICEF stated it needs the funds to meet the needs of 9.9 million people impacted by drought conditions in four regions of Ethiopia.

The UNICEF funding appeal to Ethiopia also includes funds needed to help 4.45 million children in Ethiopia.

UNICEF aims to provide life-saving supplies as well as standard health, nutrition, educational and sanitary services assistance to the needy.

The UNICEF statement also said nearly 650,000 children are out of school in Ethiopia's Oromia, Southern and Somali regions due to drought conditions.

The UNICEF statement further disclosed the drought condition has forced the closure of 2,000 schools across Ethiopia.

"Over four million people in 214 hotspot locations in the drought affected regions are in urgent need of water," the UNICEF statement disclosed.

The Horn of Africa region including Ethiopia is facing the worst climate-induced drought condition in 40 years.