Ethiopia Food Cluster

The Food Cluster (FC) aims to support vulnerable, food-insecure populations with timely emergency food assistance through cash transfers and in-kind food distributions. This goal aligns with the country's strategic objectives SO1, SO2, SO3, SO4 and SO5, depending on the profile of the beneficiaries and the trigger of the needs.
The response by food cluster partners will follow a needs-based approach, prioritizing woredas affected by various shocks, including conflicts, and slow or rapid onset hazards. The FC will support and complement Government-led response efforts to slow onset climate hazards and conflicts, that result in population displacements.
IDPs continue to represent a significant portion of the FC's PiN (29%) and target population (52%) estimates for 2025. FC partners will continue supporting IDPs, both previously displaced and new ones, recognising their significant vulnerability due to their inability to access sustainable livelihoods.
New IDPs affected by rapid onset hazards will receive an initial support up to 3-months, resources allowing, with the continue effort from FC partners to categorise the displaced population according to their contingent needs, through Vulnerability Based Targeting (VBT) approach. A similar approach based on up to 3-month initial assistance will be applied to displaced population returning to their original locations, with the aim of bridging with more durable solutions from other sectors and local authorities.
The prevalence of food insecurity defined through a geographical targeting approach will determine which woredas are prioritized for food assistance. Through the VBT approach, which also involves the participation of communities for selecting beneficiaries, the most food-insecure households will be identified and registered for emergency food assistance.
Analysis from VBT indicates that priority population groups include households headed by children, households with disabled and elderly members, female-headed households, returning migrants, and households displaced due to various natural and man-made hazards.
The government plays an integral role within the FC response, primarily through the Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Committee (EDRMC). The EDRMC not only co-chairs the FC but is also one of the key food assistance operators in the country. It also acts as the first responder in cases of disasters caused by natural hazards by prepositioning food items throughout the country and coordinating closely with regional local authorities.
The Food Cluster will continue to operate under the one-woreda-one-operator principle during the implementation of the response included in the HRP 2025.