The Oromia Regional State Communication Bureau indicated that it has strengthened support for people and animals affected by the drought that has happened in some areas of the region.
Bureau Head, Addisu Arega, said that the region has identified more than 2 million people in need of aid due to the drought and has been supplying different aid inputs since last month.
The federal Diasater Risk Management Commission has provided more than 342 thousand quintals of food aid to the region.
The World Food Program (WFP) also has supplied more than 69 thousand quintals of nutritious food to lactating mothers and children dwelling in drought hit areas of the region.
The regional state has allocated an additional budget of 186 million birr to provide more food, potable and animal fodder to areas affected by the drought.
People dwelling in areas free from the drought have contributed more than 11 thousand quintals of foods crops for those living in areas affected by the drought.
The Ministry of Education on its part has allocated 71 million birr for school feeding in areas hit by the drought and back the region sustains the teaching-learning process.
A strong aid response to last year’s El Nino-linked drought has almost halved the number of Ethiopians needing food aid to 5.6 million since mid-2016.
The government has already committed US$47.35 million as a first installment for the 2017 Humanitarian Requirements Document. Last year the government bought and distributed more than 627,000 metric tons of wheat to affected areas and built up its reserve again to more than 450,000 metric tons.