The United States Government has announced more than $331 million in new humanitarian assistance for Ethiopia in FY 2023 through the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development USAID.
Secretary of State, Antony Blinken who made the announcement on Wednesday, said the funding will provide life-saving support to those displaced and affected by conflict, drought, and food insecurity in Ethiopia.
He said, “This assistance includes $12 million through the State Department Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration and more than $319 million through the U.S. Agency for International Development.
“This brings the total U.S. humanitarian assistance for the response to the region to more than $780 million in FY 2023”, Secretary of State added.
Blinken stated further that United States is the largest single-country provider of humanitarian assistance in Ethiopia.
“Our assistance provides critical, life-saving support, including food, shelter, safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, healthcare efforts, education, and other key services.
“This announcement will help deepen the partnership between the United States and Africa. We’ve had an enduring partnership when it comes to humanitarian assistance with Ethiopia, going back decades.
“As a result of the cessation of hostilities agreement in Tigray, we now have humanitarian assistance flowing in very important ways. And that’s reaching people who were not being reached before, and making a big difference”.
The Secretary of State who is in Ethiopia to reaffirm the pledge that President Joe Biden made at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit late last year. “As he put it, the United States is “all in on Africa, and all in with Africa.”
“That means the United States is committed to deep, responsive, and genuine partnerships on the continent, because we believe we can only solve shared challenges – and deliver on the fundamental aspirations of our people – if we work together”.
He said further that last year, 140 million people in Africa suffered from acute food insecurity, a crisis exacerbated by COVID-19, by climate change, by conflict.
“This led to shortfalls in commodities, fertilizer, and fuel, all of which spiked prices and created supply chain disruptions. To meet that challenge, the United States has invested $13.5 billion last year to reduce acute and chronic hunger worldwide, largely in Africa.
“At the same time, together with African countries, we’re supporting immediate interventions like the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which has brought Ukrainian grain to countries across Africa as well as lowering prices around the world.
“Over 4 million metric tons of wheat have gone directly to developing countries as a result of that initiative that is the equivalent of 8 billion loaves of bread. Millions rely on the Black Sea Grain Initiative. It cannot be allowed to lapse.
Blinken said he’ll be having opportunity to meet with the African Union Chairman Faki to discuss the partnership between the United States and the African Union. “We’ll talk about how the United States can help the AU realize its Agenda 2063 to build an integrated, prosperous, and peaceful Africa.
“And how the United States can best support the AU’s regional economic integration goals as the African Continental Free Trade Area gets up and running. And this is something that’s going to make huge difference as African economies become increasingly integrated.
“When the free trade area gets up and running, that will change and I think it will be a very powerful tool for economic growth. I’ll also convey continued support for African representation in multilateral institutions, to include the United Nations Security Council and the G20.
He noted that African-led solutions are increasingly making difference on the challenges of 21st century. “One of most powerful testaments to the importance of African leadership has been the November 2nd Cessation of Hostilities Agreement to end the conflict and suffering in northern Ethiopia.
“The conflict was absolutely devastating. Hundreds of thousands killed. Widespread sexual violence against women. Millions forced to flee their homes. Many left in need of food and shelter, medicine. Hospitals, schools, and businesses were shelled and destroyed.
“The Cessation of Hostilities Agreement is a major achievement and step forward, saving lives and changing lives. The guns are silent. As the fighting has stopped, human rights violations declined.
“Humanitarian assistance is flowing, finally reaching nearly communities in need, services are being restored in the Tigray Region, the TPLF is disarming, Eritrean and other non-federal forces are departing.
“The dedicated diplomacy of the mediators from the African Union, from Kenya, from South Africa, supported by the United States, was essential to securing this agreement. And the AU monitoring mechanism is a key to its full implementation”, he said.
Blinken commended the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopian federal government and Tigrayan regional leaders for reaching this agreement and the significant progress in delivering on their commitments.
Adding that these efforts have created the foundation to rebuild the communities that have suffered so in Tigray, Amhara, and the Afar regions. “They need the help and support”.
He strongly urged the inclusion as well of women in decision-making roles as the agreement is implemented – especially in light of gender-based violence that was perpetrated during the conflict.
US Secretary met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy, and then with the signatories to the agreement – the heads of delegation of the Government of Ethiopia and the TPLF to underscore US’s support for peace as well as the dividends it can yield.
“And those dividends are important. People need to see that peace brings concrete dividends in their lives. That starts, of course, with the cessation of violence, but we want to build positive things on top of that.
We welcome the commitments that the parties have made to acknowledging the atrocities committed and their devastating consequences.
“For our part, the United States acknowledges the human rights violations and repression committed during the past three decades – actions which sowed the seeds of future conflict. We and others were insufficiently vocal about those abuses in the past.
“Recognizing the atrocities committed by all parties is an essential step to achieving a sustainable peace.
“We urge Ethiopians to follow through on their commitments to each other to implement an inclusive and comprehensive transitional justice process that includes both reconciliation and accountability.
“Overcoming poisonous grievances and ethnic divisions is the only way to break the cycle of political and ethnic violence in the north, in Oromia, or anywhere else. As a partner in that effort, the United States is providing both technical and financial support”, he said.