ADDIS ABABA (HAN) August 22.2016. Public Diplomacy & Regional Security News. By Haftu Gebrezgabiher. The United States Friday announced nearly 35 million USD in additional humanitarian assistance to help the people of Ethiopia facing the impacts of the worst drought in 50 years.
According to Embassy press release sent to The Ethiopian Herald, the El Nino induced drought_follows successive poor rainy seasons and has exceeded many people’s ability to cope. The funding announcement will support USAID, UN and NGO partners in providing humanitarian aid including over 6,000 metric tons of supplementary and therapeutic foods.
The new funding will also increase access to safe water and sanitation facilities and promote hygienic practices to drought-affected communities, the release said.
It stated that USAID partners are providing seed to farmers and assistance to protect their livestock, train health workers, expand programs that address gender-based violence in drought-affected areas and augment logistics capacities so that critical supplies get to people most in need.
These efforts will help Ethiopians meet immediate needs, protect development gains made, and complement long-term efforts to build resilience to future disasters.
With this announcement, the US is providing nearly 774 million USD since 2015 in humanitarian assistance.
USAID Mission Director in Ethiopia Leslie Reed announced the new funding in Addis Ababa during an event commemorating World Humanitarian Day.
The United States commends other donors who have contributed to the Ethiopia drought response, and encourages others to join this international effort. Mobilizing a robust and coordinated global response will be critical to protect the country’s development gains and ensure early recovery, the release quoted the director as saying.
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