- Allocation was in line with Abiy’s call for global support to Africa
- Ministry receives donations to fight COVID-19
ADDIS ABABA – The UK Department for International Development announced yesterday of a £22 million of UK funding to Ethiopia as part of global leadership in fight against Covid-19. In a press release it sent through British embassy in Addis Ababa to The Ethiopian Herald the embassy said the UK has just allocated £12mln. (more than ETB 450mln.) to UNICEF to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in Ethiopia; £7mln. (more than ETB 270mln.) has been agreed with UN OCHA to coordinate the response to the virus and respond to other humanitarian needs in the country.
In addition, a further £3mln. (over ETB 120mln.) will be provided to support the Government of Ethiopia, according to the press release. “This will include helping to ensure that essential goods – such as food and medical equipment – can be imported and distributed. Some of the funding will also be invested in infection control measures to keep industrial parks open, protecting people’s jobs and keeping workers safe,” it added.
The press release, which said that UK is leading, with partners, in efforts to stop the global spread of Covid-19 and has acted quickly, indicated that “the allocation of funding was in line with Prime Minister Abiy’s call for global support to Africa as it faces this virus.” The embassy also said that senior health advisors from the UK are now working with the Ethiopian Public Health Institute and the Ministry of Health and supporting the ongoing delivery of essential basic health services in response to Covid-19.
Meanwhile Gedu Andargachew, Minister of Foreign Affairs yesterday received monetary and in-kind donations from various organizations to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, the Minister received 100,000 USD from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) staff members. According to Commander Abebe Muluneh, IGAD Security Sector Program Director, the donation is part of the IGAD Staff members’ initiative to contribute 100.000.
USD to each member states to help them fight the COVID-19 scourge. Likewise, while the Ethiopian Diaspora Trust Fund (EDTF) handed over one million USD, HOPE Enterprises has given in-kind donation estimated to 4.5 million Birr.
Organization for Rehabilitation and Development in Amhara (ORDA) in its part donated two million Ethiopian Birr and VSO donated 1.2 million Birr. On the occasion, Gedu appreciated the initiative taken by all of the organizations to be part of the joint approach of fighting the pandemic
The Ethiopian Herald April 8/2020
BY STAFF REPORTER
