US pledges $100 million annually to Ethiopia

By Tesfa-alem Tekle

November 22, 2007 (ADDIS ABABA) – The US will pledged over $100 million annually to Ethiopia for development projects across the country.

The US is one of the leading aid donors to Ethiopia along with the UK, Canada and Ireland.

The director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) mission in Ethiopia Glenn Anders said the money will be used to assist US agencies in Ethiopia as well as other developmental programs in Ethiopia.

The main target of the aid is the safety net program aimed at lifting up some 8 million people living in poverty primarily farmers in different regions of Ethiopia.

“The safety net program has played an important role in bringing positive change to life states of thousands of Ethiopians” Anders said.

The major components of the program includes ensuring food security, supplying food relief, fostering agricultural products and training people to be self-reliant.

The US has also been assisting Ethiopia with disaster prevention and preparedness. Between 2001 and 2006 the US has assisted Ethiopia over 114 million birr to disaster prevention programs.

(ST)