Ethiopia Faces Worsening Humanitarian Crisis Due to El Niño-Induced Drought

El Niño-induced drought conditions have severely impacted Ethiopia, causing significant delays in the 2026 Kiremt rainfall and leading to critical moisture deficits. This has resulted in crop failures across over 250,000 hectares, the loss of more than 28,000 livestock, and the drying of over 319 water points. The crisis affects more than 3.5 million people, deteriorating food security and livelihoods, prompting the Ethiopian Red Cross Society to initiate a DREF response.