Refugees in Ethiopia are to benefit from a US $1.7 million donation from the US government to help make up food shortages. The move follows appeals by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) which warned it may be forced to cut rations to thousands of refugees because of a shortfall. WFP said the drop in calories would have hit refugee women and children hardest. The pledge is part of a US $12.4 million donation to the World Food Programme to “fill critical gaps” in refugee feeding across Africa.