International Rescue CommitteeFor the second year in a row, Ethiopia ranks as number two on the IRC’s Watchlist – making it one of the top countries most at risk of worsening humanitarian need in 2023. Prolonged drought in the southeast of the country, continued economic stresses, and the impact of conflict in northern Ethiopia, Oromia and elsewhere, are all exacerbating needs for millions of people. Here’s what you need to know about the ongoing emergency in Ethiopia1. Ethiopia is heading toward its sixth consecutive failed rainy seasonThis threatens to prolong a drought already affecting over 30 million people. Episodic fighting between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) throughout 2022 heightened humanitarian needs and risks to civilians in northern Ethiopia.