WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the High-level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Situation in Ethiopia – 16 April 2024

Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends,

Selam and greetings from Dr Tedros who is unfortunately travelling today but he has said many times to the world over the last number of years: Dehna Aderachu, Dehna Walchu, Dehna Ameshachu.

I would just like to recognize the presence of Dr Owen Laws Kaluwa also behind me, who is our country representative in Ethiopia.

Widespread hunger and disease are putting millions of lives in peril, particularly in Tigray, Amhara, Afar, Oromia, and other regions of Ethiopia torn apart by years of devastating conflict.

Much of the health system and basic infrastructure has been degraded or destroyed.

The country faces multiple deadly outbreaks:

The cholera outbreak is in its 20th month, with over 41 000 cases in 54 districts across 8 regions. It's the largest cholera outbreak in Ethiopia's history.

Malaria cases are already at 1.1 million for this year, after a record year of over 4 million reported cases in 2023.

Over 15 000 cases of measles have been reported from over 100 districts in 2024 alone.

These outbreaks are occurring in areas where millions of people lack access to essential health services.

Drought and flooding and the effects of climate change are making the situation even worse.

WHO and our health partners, the health cluster, are on the ground, providing life-saving health services.

But without urgent funding we cannot simply continue.

Instead of maintaining the scale up to respond to the worsening health and food security emergency in Ethiopia, WHO is forced to scale down due to funding shortfalls.

So far this year, we have received only 4% of the US$ 187 million needed to keep operations going.

Last year, we received only one-quarter of our appeal. WHO was forced to draw on internal emergency funds, and yet it was still not enough.

These funding shortfalls are forcing us to cut emergency staff by half, and we will have to cut more if funding is not received soon.

Excellencies, partners: investing in WHO and the health cluster partners saves lives.

It means sending mobile health and nutrition teams into distant and dangerous areas to help infants and children ravaged by acute malnutrition;

It means providing vaccination to prevent deadly disease outbreaks, and being able to treat those in need;

It means helping health facilities in conflict-affected areas to resume their life-saving services, including sustaining our support to nearly two-thirds of Ethiopia's health care facilities which have nutrition and stabilization centres.

It means continuing to deliver essential health supplies. And at this time last year, over 10% of all WHO's global procurement [went] to Ethiopia. It's at 14% in 2024 already.

I thank you for your attention. Ameseginalehu.

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