The European Union has provided €33.5 million in grant to the government of Ethiopia as part of the EU-TRUST Fund for Disaster Risk Reduction project being implemented in the horn African nation.
The financing agreement was signed on Wednesday by Admasu Nebebe, Ethiopia’s State Minister of Finance and Mr. Erik Habers, Head of Cooperation of the European Delegation to Ethiopia, according to a press release issued by the Ministry.
The Disaster Risk Reduction project will focus on strengthening households, communities and local authorities to manage and adapt to disasters and other risks, thus reducing their humanitarian and economic impact, including forced displacement and irregular migration.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Finance State Minister Admasu Nebebe said this financial grant will have a pivotal contribution to create economic opportunities for internally displaced people and capacity on disaster management for regional and woreda administrations.
He added that Ethiopia will develop early warning systems through the establishment of Disaster Risk Recovery Contingency Fund at federal and regional levels in the coming four years.
Cooperation Head for EU Delegation to Ethiopia, Erik Habers said the signing is critical and timely given the increasing frequency and intensity of drought as well as other shocks like conflicts which have led into significant internal displacement in Ethiopia.
The project, which will be implemented by NGOs, National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Agency including Somali, SNNPR, Oromia and Amhara regions, is going to be realized in 54 months from 2019-2023.
According to recent report released by Ethiopia’s Disaster and Risk Managment, currently there are more than eight million internally displaced people in the country.
MG/abj/APA