• WFP halts aid for 650,000 malnourished women and children in Ethiopia due to funding shortages.
• 3.6 million people are at risk of losing food assistance without urgent financial support.
• The aid agency requires $222 million for operations from April to September to maintain support.
• Conflict, drought, and economic instability intensify food insecurity across the country.
• Ongoing violence hampers humanitarian efforts and threatens access to those in need.

The World Food Programme (WFP) announced it will halt vital assistance to 650,000 malnourished women and children in Ethiopia starting next month due to a critical lack of funding. The agency emphasized that without urgent financial support, 3.6 million vulnerable individuals will lose access to food aid, exacerbating the already dire situation. "We are at the breaking point," said Zlatan Milišić, WFP Country Director in Ethiopia, highlighting the increasing food insecurity impacting over 10 million people in the country, affected by both conflict and climatic issues, according to Le Monde, Africanews, and BBC.

In addition to the suspension of aid, the WFP faces a funding shortfall of $222 million for the period from April to September 2025, which is essential to continue providing life-saving support and nutrition assistance. Milišić warned that malnutrition rates have reached alarming levels, and without a swift donor response, the humanitarian situation could worsen dramatically. He noted that the program had intended to deliver nutritional support to two million mothers and children this year but has struggled to secure adequate resources, according to AllAfrica, AllAfrica, and Al Jazeera.

Furthermore, ongoing conflict within Ethiopia, particularly in the Amhara and Oromia regions, continues to hinder humanitarian operations, making it increasingly difficult for WFP to deliver aid to already vulnerable populations. Described as "one shock away from falling into a catastrophe," many families are suffering from both conflict and the effects of drought, combined with economic instability, further exacerbating food insecurity across the region, as reported by BBC, Le Monde, and AllAfrica.