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<br /><p>We are extremely concerned about the impact of the current drought on the
food security situation in Ethiopia. A joint Government of Ethiopia and UN assessment
is underway and we are in touch with our UN and Non-Governmental Organisation partners
on the ground to determine the extent of need.</p><br /><p>In October, the Government
of Ethiopia announced that about 8.2 million people are in need of emergency food
aid, up from the 4.5 million estimated in August. The number of severely malnourished
children under five years old admitted to therapeutic feeding programmes this year
has increased notably.</p><br /><p>Britain has acted quickly and decisively by providing
emergency support for 2.6 million people. This includes food aid for 2.1 million people
for a month. The Government of Ethiopia has also committed its largest ever response
to a drought. The international community will need to work hard with the Government
of Ethiopia to prevent the crisis from worsening in the coming months.</p><br /><p>DFID
is at the forefront of resilience work to reduce the impact of crises in developing
countries. In Ethiopia, DFID’s Productive Safety Nets Programme (PSNP) has helped
turn desert land into land that can be farmed again.</p><br />
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