Updated

The United States government has announced $88 million to help feed hungry people in drought-stricken areas of Ethiopia, bringing the total amount of humanitarian aid to the country in 2015 to more than $435 million.

The Ethiopian government is appealing for $1.4 billion from the international community to help feed more than 10 million people.

The U.S. aid, announced Friday, will provide more than 116,000 metric tons of relief food aid to address the needs of 2.6 million people in 74 districts.

The East African country is currently facing a humanitarian crisis caused by below normal rainfalls in many parts of the country. The El Nino weather phenomenon has aggravated the situation and has cause low agricultural productivity and the deaths of domestic animals.