Ethiopia needs 73 million US dollar to provide food aid to more than 750,000 refugees in the next six months, said Ethiopian Refugees and Returnees Service, WFP and UNHCR in a joint statement.

The joint statement published on Wednesday warned that the refugees in Ethiopia may face  nutritional and food shortage and various diseases as WFP's food reserve for refugees will be ended in the coming October.

WFP Ethiopia Country Director Claude Gibdar said in the statement that it requires  at least 73 million US dollar to feed refugees in Ethiopia but they may compelled to return to their uncomfortable villages if the aid is decreasing. 

The food reserve for refugees has decreased by 50 percent for the first time since the 40 percent decrement two years ago. 

For Tesfaye Gobezay, Director-General of the Ethiopian Refugees, Returnees Service, the country has a better policy for refugees and commitment to support them. He said, despite the shortage if international financial support, the country is still craving for promoting the refugees into self-sufficiency in the long run.

He expressed concern that a conflict could be breakout between refugees and host communities if the present food shortage extended along with similar crisis in the surroundings of refugee camps.

About 85 percent of refugees residing in Ethiopia are beneficiaries of the WFP food reserve.

It is remembered that Ethiopia hosts over one million refugees ans asylum seekers of which 750,000 receive food aid.