U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths allocated $40 million on Monday to support life-saving aid and civilian protection efforts in Ethiopia amidst ongoing conflict and drought.

According to an announcement from the U.N., $25 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund will be allocated, as well as $15 million from the Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund.

The funds will be used to step up emergency operations in the northern regions of the country, where pro-government forces and Tigrayan rebels have been fighting for a year. Around 2.2 million Ethiopians have been displaced in Tigray, according to Reuters.

The funding will also be used to support early response efforts regarding a drought in southern Ethiopia.

In a statement, Griffiths noted that millions of Ethiopia are “living on a knife edge” as the country’s humanitarian crisis grows deeper.

“Across the country, needs are rising. This injection of cash will help aid organizations meet some of the most vulnerable people’s need for protection and relief,” Griffiths said.

The newly announced funding will support aid agencies providing protection and “other life-saving assistance” to citizens impacted by conflict in the northern Tigray, Amhara and Afar regions.

The U.N. said funding for the drought-affected Somali and Oromia regions will be used to provide drinking water and prevent waterborne diseases like cholera. It said agencies will also help pastoral communities preserve their livestock.

The allocations raise the Central Emergency Response Fund’s support to Ethiopia to $65 million, according to the announcement. It is now the second-highest recipient of support from the fund this year. The Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund’s support to the country also now totals $80 million.

The U.N. said there is still a funding gap of $1.3 billion for humanitarian operations in Ethiopia, which includes $350 million for the response in Tigray.

Source: Voice of America