Ethiopia

Age-old livelihoods like farming and cattle-rearing continue in the home of some of humankind's oldest traces. But its rural traditions are under increasing threat.

Photo: Geoff Oliver Bugbee for Mercy Corps

Scarce resources, religious conflict and disputed tribal boundaries threaten peaceful progress in Ethiopia's south. Mercy Corps is equipping hundreds of Ethiopians, from simple farmers to government officials, with the tools to defuse conflicts before they turn violent. In rural areas, we're helping herders build better lives by supporting efforts to make their precious livestock more resilient to drought and disease, and by helping diversify their income streams.

Turning Trash into Cash ›

Topics: Climate Change, Economic Development, Environment, Urban, Women's Empowerment

With support from Mercy Corps and a local organisation called Women in Self-Employment (WISE), Tafessu and her neighbors are finding a way to transform potato skins and fruit peels into fuel.

Responding to Ethiopia's Deadly Floods ›

Topics: Emergencies

Mercy Corps helped families marooned in villages along the flooded Omo River.

Turning Over a New Leaf in Ethiopia ›

Topics: Rural, Hunger, Agriculture

Fodder tree nurseries help Ethiopia's cattle survive the country's brutal dry spells, protecting families' most precious assets.

Protecting Livestock, Building Assets ›

Topics: Agriculture, Economic Development, Rural

Mohammad Abbas knows that a healthy herd of cattle means the difference between a well-fed family and a reliance on outside food aid. He paid for his animals to be vaccinated to insure them — and his family — against Ethiopia's frequent droughts.

Seeding Peace at the Grassroots ›

Topics: Governance, Peaceful Change

Two decades after responding to Ethiopia's headline-making famine, Yewobnesh Dando is still advancing lifesaving work in her own country — this time, by instilling a culture of peace in the country's most conflict-ridden areas.

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Ethiopia Facts

Population (2008 est.): 82.5 million
Size: 27th largest country
Human Development Index rank: 169 (of 179)
Mercy Corps has worked here since 2004
Primary work: Vaccinating cattle and camels, loaning to urban poor, reducing tensions through trainings
Years under colonization: none
Animals vaccinated by Mercy Corps: 1.2 million

Program Details

Mercy Corps is helping the people of Ethiopia defuse conflicts before they turn violent. We're providing training in such skills as conflict mediation, facilitation and negotiation to help hundreds of Ethiopians peacefully negotiate their differences. In rural areas, we are helping herders build better lives.

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