Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — May 2, 2026 | Horn News Hub
A senior member of the United States Senate has raised alarm over an impending humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia, warning that millions could face severe food shortages in the coming months due to funding cuts and program changes in U.S. assistance.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a letter dated April 29 to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that a critical break in the food aid pipeline is expected by June 2026.
According to the letter, recent restructuring of U.S. food assistance programs, including the transfer of the Food for Peace initiative to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will result in the suspension of key life-saving programs. These programs have been supporting up to 3.1 million acutely food insecure people across Ethiopia, including more than one million internally displaced persons.
The aid disruption is expected to coincide with Ethiopia’s lean and rainy seasons from June through September, a period when food insecurity typically worsens and logistical challenges increase due to heavy rainfall.
The senator highlighted the role of Catholic Relief Services, which has been implementing the Joint Emergency Operation program in regions such as Tigray, Amhara, and Afar. The program has provided both in-kind food assistance and market-based support to vulnerable populations affected by conflict and displacement.
However, Shaheen warned that without renewed funding, neither food commodities nor cash-based assistance will be available once the program ends this summer.
The letter also linked the humanitarian concerns to stalled political progress following the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, particularly the incomplete withdrawal of non-ENDF forces, including Eritrean troops, and unresolved issues surrounding the return of internally displaced people.
Shaheen noted that limited diplomatic engagement and insufficient pressure on stakeholders have left many internally displaced people unable to return home, prolonging their dependence on humanitarian aid.
She cautioned that the combination of declining assistance, delayed troop withdrawals, and unresolved political tensions could push the situation toward renewed conflict, with serious humanitarian and regional consequences.
The senator urged the State Department to provide immediate funding for emergency food assistance during the upcoming lean season and to intensify diplomatic efforts to support the full implementation of the peace agreement.
No official response from the State Department had been issued at the time of reporting.
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