The European Union (EU), through its partnership with UNICEF, has granted €31.5 million to restore and strengthen health services in war- torn regions in Ethiopia.
Over 3,000 health facilities are non-functional and nearly 700,000 children have missed out on routine vaccinations due to conflict.
“Now with peace being built, we can work better to help all Ethiopians, and notably women and children, who have missed out on essential health services due to the disruption of services and the damage and destruction of health facilities,” said Roland Kobia, Ambassador of the EU to Ethiopia while announcing the grant on Thursday.
Ambassador Kobia said the 31.5 euro fund will help rehabilitate and strengthen health systems to restore health gains in conflict-affected areas.
The grant will also include the scaling up of services for survivors of gender-based violence to enable them overcome the trauma they have endured and to rebuild their lives, according to UNICEF.
Ethiopia’s State Minister of Health, Dr. Dereje Duguma, has called the funding “generous” and its timing “a crucial.”
“This support will ensure equitable delivery of health services and will be strongly linked to the Government’s ‘Optimizing the Health Extension Program’,” he said.
“We look forward to working closely with UNICEF so that families can lead healthy lives.”
Overall, the funding is projected to benefit nearly 2 million women, men, adolescents, and children in Afar, Amhara, Oromia, Tigray and SNNP regions.
MG/as/APA