What's Happening?
A recent report jointly published by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), UNICEF, the World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organisation (WHO) reveals that over 60 percent of Ethiopians
experienced moderate or severe food insecurity between 2023 and 2025. The report, however, excludes the Tigray region due to data limitations, where food insecurity remains critical due to ongoing conflict, displacement, and aid shortages. The report estimates that 79.4 million people in Ethiopia faced food insecurity during this period, marking an increase from previous years. Additionally, 67.9 percent of Ethiopians, approximately 92 million people, were unable to afford a healthy diet in 2025. The cost of a healthy diet in Ethiopia is among the highest in East Africa, exacerbated by rising agricultural input costs and inflation.
Why It's Important?
The findings underscore the severe food insecurity challenges facing Ethiopia, particularly in the Tigray region, which remains excluded from national estimates. The inability of a significant portion of the population to afford a healthy diet highlights the broader economic and social challenges in the country. Rising costs of agricultural inputs, such as fertilizers, have further strained food affordability, impacting agricultural productivity and food prices. The report suggests that addressing these issues requires coordinated investments in agricultural productivity, infrastructure, and nutrition-sensitive policies. The situation in Ethiopia reflects broader regional challenges in the Greater Horn of Africa, where conflict, climate change, and economic pressures continue to exacerbate food insecurity.
What's Next?
The report recommends investments beyond agricultural production to reduce the cost of healthy diets, including improvements in transport infrastructure, food markets, and logistics. Expanding rural roads, for example, could help narrow the urban-rural food price gap and improve market integration. Humanitarian agencies face operational challenges due to technical data gaps and constraints affecting needs assessments. The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) projects that Ethiopia will remain among the countries with the largest populations requiring urgent food assistance, with over 15 million people expected to need emergency aid by mid-2026.
Beyond the Headlines
The exclusion of the Tigray region from national food security estimates highlights the complexities of data collection in conflict-affected areas. The ongoing conflict and displacement in Tigray pose significant challenges for humanitarian aid delivery and accurate needs assessments. The report emphasizes the importance of adapting food affordability assessments to reflect local dietary realities, rather than relying solely on global food baskets. This approach could help better address the unique dietary needs and economic conditions of different regions within Ethiopia.
