The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has appealed for $59 million to provide critical assistance to 2.5 million drought-affected people across Ethiopia in 2023.The IOM in its Ethiopia Drought Response Plan for 2023 released late Friday said communities in parts of Ethiopia are suffering from a devastating drought following four consecutive failed rainy seasons since late 2020.

 The UN migration agency said the ongoing drought that affected southern and northeastern parts of the East African country is the worst in 40 years.

 “The drought is worsening in scope and scale and is increasingly affecting more areas,” the IOM said, as it warned about deteriorating livelihood conditions across the affected areas.

 It said a staggering scale of livestock deaths is significantly affecting livelihoods in affected areas, in which more than 4.5 million livestock have died since late 2021 while a further 30 million weakened and emaciated livestock are at risk.

 It also underscored the drought’s impact in terms of worsening the refugee problem, as one of every four outgoing as well as returning migrants are from drought-affected regions of Ethiopia, with the Somali, Oromia, and Afar regions the most severely drought-impacted.

 It warned the drought situation has continued to reduce the ability of host communities to support migrants in transit or upon return, while limited food availability is leading to increased migration, as affected populations move in search of water, pasture, and assistance.