History of Country

Ethiopia is Africa’s oldest independent country and one of the world’s poorest. More than a quarter of its population lives on less than $1 a day. Ethiopia’s economy and poor population are extremely vulnerable to external forces such as climate-related changes and increasing global food prices.

Located in the Horn of Africa, cyclical natural disasters such as droughts, floods and insect infestations regularly pose threats to the mostly rural population of Ethiopia. The economy is built on agriculture, which has been seriously affected by frequent droughts and poor cultivation practices.

Poor rainfall has created an abnormal migration of people from different districts. Thousands of animals migrated from the Gedo region to the Somali region, overgrazing the limited land space and depleting water sources in the area. The lack of rain and depleted water sources leave communities with little water.

Although acute droughts wreaked havoc on Ethiopia’s economy in the first few years of the millennium, the country has made significant economic progress since 2003. Government aid programmes have alleviated poverty levels in rural areas while urban poverty has increased.

Somali Region
The Somali region in southern Ethiopia is known for its scattered population of around 4 million people in fifty-two districts. Many pastoralists have settled here. These nomadic herdsmen make a living from rearing livestock and growing basic crops.

Tens of thousands of refugees fleeing the ongoing conflict in Somalia have also settled in the region. The pastoralists and refugees make up the most destitute communities in Ethiopia. Failed rains over many seasons have caused severe drought in the region. As approximately 85 percent of the population relies on livestock for a living, the drought has damaged both their livelihoods and their health.

Most of IR’s work in Ethiopia is focused in the Somali region. IR is working with local communities in order to improve access to education, healthcare, water and sanitation in the area. There are also projects aimed at developing livelihoods and food security, as well as strengthening the capacity of local organisations.

Islamic Relief's History in Ethiopia

Over 75% of Ethiopians have no access to clean drinking water

Relief teams have implemented long-term development projects that have improved access to education, health care, water and sanitation. Islamic Relief also launched several projects aimed at developing livelihood and food security, and strengthening the capacity of local organizations. One of our most successful initiatives has been micro finance projects for women. This has included distributing loans, linking beneficiaries so they can start savings groups and providing ongoing business training. Islamic Relief has been on the ground in Ethiopia (as well as in Kenya and Somalia) to provide vital aid to survivors of the 2011 drought—considered the worst drought to hit the region in 60 years. People in Ethiopia received emergency aid through efforts including supplementary food provisions for malnourished children and water truck services for tens of thousands of individuals. We are now rebuilding livelihoods post-crisis. Our ongoing programmes are Orphan support and sponsorship, Ramadan food distribution, Qurbani distribution.