Britain pledges 20 mln USD emergency aids to Ethiopia
By Tesfa-alem Tekle
June 10, 2008 (ADDIS ABABA) — The government of Britain on Monday pledged 19.7 million USD humanitarian aid for Ethiopia, after the horn of Africa’s nation faced a mass-scale hunger across the nation which is said to be the worst after the 1984’s famine that captured world attention.
The pledge comes after Ethiopia last week officially appealed the international community for an emergency aid to feed its 4.5 million people who now are in urgent need of emergency food aid.
A team of officials from the department of international development are due to arrive in Ethiopia today to asses the situation on ground.
The latest pledge from Britain is in addition to the 5 million pound pledge it made last month.
The money will be distributed through partners such as UNICF, WFP and other NGOs to the most affected people across the nation. It was learnt.
According to aid groups the current crises in Ethiopia are the worst since 1984, which famine then left around 1 million people dead.
In a press conference in Addis today international aid groups said that 360 thousand tons of food (some 300 million dollar) aid is needed to feed 4.5 million Ethiopians till October where the next harvest is expected.
PROGRESSES ON GROUND DESPITE FOOD CRISES
Despite the food crises Ethiopia is facing the nation has officially lunched a second phase tree planting, as part of the nation’s efforts to tackle the negative effects of climate change which Africans are paying the price of the ill effects out of it.
“The second phase tree planting campaign is launched last week and it will continue till August 30 taking the advantage of the approaching rainy season” a statement from Ethiopia’s millennium secretariat said.
Accordingly in the coming 3 rainy months additional 700 million trees will be planted by community across the nation.
The effects of Climate change lately have began to bring visible disasters in the poor African nations leaving millions to famine and thousands dying every year .
The effects of climate change has become true in Ethiopia too, a country where it has less history of natural disasters of torrential rain.
Last year torrential rains and floods in the southern part of the nation have killed hundreds of Ethiopians.
The effect this year has also forced millions of Ethiopians for famine and tens of thousands of children to go to school hungry and many more to acute malnutrition.
Inflations up to 100% over the major food items have also aggravated the situation on ground.
(ST)