Ethiopia

Since 2004, we have been supporting the emergence of a peaceful, prosperous and resilient Ethiopia, inclusive of youth and women. In 2020, our work reached over half a million people across the country.
 

The context

With a population of more than 112 million people, Ethiopia is the second most populous nation in Africa and the fastest growing economy in the region. However, it is also one of the poorest countries, with a per capita income of $850. More than 83% of the population lives in rural areas vulnerable to droughts caused by climate change as well as economic instability and conflict.

Our impact

Mercy Corps provides urgent relief to millions of people in Ethiopia, at the same time building longer-term security and stability so that the Ethiopian people can build a stronger future. We focus on five priority areas.

In response to COVID‑19, we’ve adapted our programs in order to continue reaching communities with lifesaving support. We have also introduced new programming to prevent the spread of the virus.
 

Dynamic and inclusive markets

In the past five years, Mercy Corps has partnered with more than 2,400 private sector businesses ranging from large agri-processing factories to microenterprises serving poor communities at the village level. We have put to work more than $24 million in private sector investment and improved the lives of 5.2 million people.
 

Natural resource management

Through the Pastoralist Areas Improvement through Market Expansion (PRIME) program, Mercy Corps supported 24 rangeland systems for livestock producers systems that includes rehabilitating 43,000 hectares of rangeland and constructing 31 ponds that boosted access to livestock feed and water for over 250,000 livestock producers in the Afar, Somali and Oromia regions of Ethiopia.
 

Peace and social cohesion

Mercy Corps supports Ethiopia’s unification process and breaks the ethnic tension that threatens peace and social cohesion. Between 2004 and 2012, our peacebuilding work supported communities from 20 ethnic groups to become more secure and experience less violence, benefiting 280,000 individuals.
 

Nutrition at scale

Mercy Corps treats malnourished children and pregnant mothers, supporting emergency nutrition response through mobile health visits and training local communities and health providers to address health issues.
 

Sustained development gains

Working with the private sector and government agencies, Mercy Corps facilitates humanitarian assistance that provides durable solutions and builds the resilience of displaced and host community populations that support over a million program participants.