WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the United States announced nearly $35 million in additional humanitarian assistance to help the people of Ethiopia face the impacts of the worst drought in fifty years.

Triggered by El Niño, the drought follows successive poor rainy seasons and has exceeded many people's ability to cope. Today's funding announcement will support USAID's UN and NGO partners in providing humanitarian aid, including more than 6,000 metric tons of supplementary and therapeutic foods to help an estimated one million people suffering from moderate and severe acute malnutrition. The new funding will also increase access to safe water and sanitation facilities and promote hygienic practices to drought-affected communities.

To get communities back on their feet, USAID partners are providing seeds to farmers and assistance to protect their livestock and other assets. We are also helping to train health workers, scale up programs that address gender-based violence in drought-affected areas, and augment logistics capacities so that critical supplies get to people most in need. These efforts will help Ethiopians meet immediate needs, protect development gains made, and complement long-term efforts to build resilience to future disasters.

With this announcement, the United States is making available nearly $774 million since FY 2015 in humanitarian assistance and continues to be the single largest humanitarian donor to the people of Ethiopia.

USAID's Mission Director in Ethiopia Leslie Reed announced the new funding in Addis Ababa during an event commemorating World Humanitarian Day, which was designated by the United Nations in memory of the 22 UN and relief agency staff who lost their lives in a bombing in Baghdad 13 years ago. With this year's theme being One Humanity, USAID stands in solidarity with the people of Ethiopia, to help them mitigate the worst impacts of the drought.

The United States commends other donors who have contributed to the Ethiopia drought response, and encourages others to join this international effort. Mobilizing a robust and coordinated global response will be critical to protect the country's development gains and ensure early recovery.

For more information on the El Niño response, visit http://www.usaid.gov/elnino.