In July 2011, following two consecutive seasons of severe drought in the Horn of Africa and a result of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the country, the Government of Ethiopia launched a Humanitarian Requirements Document indicating that 4.5 million people were in need of emergency assistance. The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) launched an emergency drought appeal (MDRET010) on 5 August 2011 in support of the Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS) to address and respond to the most urgent humanitarian needs in the sectors of food relief and cash grants, water and sanitation, health and institutional capacity building. The preliminary appeal requested CHF 10,978,250 for six months to assist 165,000 beneficiaries.
