UN: 4.8 million Ethiopians in need of food aid

December 11, 2009 The United Nations has estimated that about 4.8 million people in Ethiopia will need 529,148 tons of emergency food aid worth approximately US$270 million in the first half of next year.

"Despite the collaborative efforts of the government and humanitarian partners to address ongoing humanitarian challenges in Ethiopia, humanitarian needs are expected to remain," read a statement on the UN official website.

The UN's figure has decreased a bit from January's numbers, which suggested that 4.9 million people were in need of food aid in the country. In August, the UN's estimate went up to 6.2 million.

Ethiopia's current food crisis has been primarily caused by prolonged, heavy droughts, which have ruined crops, as well as higher food prices.