This case study on Ethiopia forms part of the ODI research series on the role of the state in ‘humanitarian governance’. It review's strands of humanitarianism that have characterised the organised management of risk and vulnerability during myriad crises across a range of populations. It focuses on the various regimes of the Ethiopian state since the 1970s and their roles in and capacities for disaster risk management writ large – prevention, preparedness, mitigation, response, recovery, and rehabilitation. State capacity for humanitarian governance is analysed from three perspectives: the role of the state in direct service provision, its ability to mobilise and facilitate resources, and its ability to build an enabling environment to promote individual, household and community resilience.