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Ethiopia

A woman collecting firewood [CAFOD]

Ethiopia is one of the least-developed and poorest countries in the world. It has been dogged by drought for many decades, causing hunger and poverty

The vast majority of people make a living from the land, either as smallholder farmers or pastoralists, herding cattle and other livestock from area to area.

Productivity has risen substantially over the last 20 years, keeping pace with rapid population growth (around 2.7% per annum), though millions of people still need support for part of the year to have enough food to eat.

CAFOD spent £1,145,000 in Ethiopia in 2008

Most farming is still at risk from irregular or poor rains, and many projects we support attempt to improve water catchment and raise water tables on a smaller scale.

CAFOD has joined with Trocaire and SCIAF as part of an exciting pilot for cooperative working within Ethiopia. With our sister agencies, we share a single jointly-managed office with a shared programme, strategy and staff.

This collaboration reduces the burden on our Ethiopian partners, means we spend less on administration, and can be more effective in our work together.