The Ambassador of Japan to Ethiopia Matsunaga Daisuke, and UNOPS Ethiopian Operational Hub Director and Representative to the African Union Worknesh Mekonnen jointly organized the launching of a project Humanitarian Assistance in the Basic Social Services and Sanitation for Internal Displaced People Returnees, which is valued at over 30 million birr financed by the Government of Japan, so disclosed by Japan embassy in Ethiopia.
This aims to improve basic social services and sanitation for more than one thousand IDP returnees in East Welega Zone of Ethiopia Oromia Regional State. The project supports the Government of Ethiopia’s effort in resettling the internally displaced people in a sustainable manner under the umbrella of the newly signed the United Nations -Ethiopia government durable solution initiative principles.
The project will also contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 3: Good health and well-being for people, SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 5: Gender equality, and SDG 6: Ensuring Clean Water and Sanitation for all by 2030.
Following inter-ethnic clashes that erupted in 2017, Ethiopia experienced the largest number of Internally Displaced People. With the extensive efforts of the government of Ethiopia and its humanitarian partners has been returning Internal Displaced Peoples to their original places since April 2019, and by July 2019, nearly 90 percent of the IDPs were resettled in to their original place of living. One of the zones that displacement has occurred is East Wellega Zone of Oromia regional state, where 80 percent have returned to their place of origin in and around East Wellega zone along the border areas of the Oromia region.
Japan has been one of the key donors for African Development particularly through theTokyo International Conference on African Development initiative. Based on the commitments made at TICAD 7, which was held in Yokohama last August, Japanese humanitarian assistance to Ethiopia to be implemented in Japanese Fiscal Year (JFY) 2019/2020 has been scaled up threefold over the previous period to over 32.5 million, up from 11.1 million USD.
Ambassador of Japan to Ethiopia Matsunaga Daisuke stated, “This project is part of our humanitarian assistance package to be implemented with various UN organizations”. Ambassador Matsunaga explained that the project objective is to improve access to social infrastructure and sanitation to restore harmonious life for the IDP returnees.
He added, “this assistance is one of the Yokohama Plan of Actions 2019 agreed upon at TICAD 7 and focusing especially on strengthening the humanitarian-development nexus of Strengthening Peace and Stability, which is one of the three main components of the Action Plan 2019”. He concluded his remarks by stating that this project will contribute to the alleviation of the acute needs of IDP returnees and pave the way for them to achieve self-reliance.
Worknesh Mekonnen UNOPS Director and Representative to the Africa Union said, “We are very delighted to partner with Japan to improve basic social services and sanitation for more than one thousand IDP returnees in East Welega Zone of Ethiopia to protect their sense of privacy, security and dignity, and contribute to girls’ school attendance.” She added that the current project includes the renovation of a school in East Welega Zone of Sasiga Wereda that was destroyed by the conflict.
The school will have eight classrooms, administrative blocks and latrines with water supply and solar power facilities. The project aims at fulfilling the “no one left behind vision” of the UN in the education sector benefiting 400 out-of-school IDP children to access elementary education. The project will also provide sanitation services through the construction of ten communal latrines for nearly 500 family members.
Dr. Tolla Berisso, Head of the Oromia Education Bureau on his part said that such assistance from donors and partners is always most welcomed and will contribute immensely to the efforts of the government towards creating a prosperous community. He also added that the government will provide any assistance required for the realisation of such a project.
UNOPS helps the UN and its partners provide peace and security, humanitarian and development solutions. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development. We are focused on implementation, with a commitment to UN values and private sector efficiency. Every year UNOPS is providing project support assistance for partners in Ethiopia worth more than 65 Million USD.
The Ethiopian Herald Sunday Edition, March 8/2020
BY MEHARI BEYENE
