ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA – The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) today appealed for US$460 million to feed 9.6 million hungry people affected by drought and high food prices in Ethiopia through to March next year.
“The Horn of Africa region is facing the worst humanitarian crisis since 1984, and Ethiopia is caught in the middle,” said WFP Executive Director, Josette Sheeran. “We know what needs to be done – we just need the funds to go out and do our job, protecting the hungry.”
Around a quarter of those in need – some 2 million people – live in the arid Somali Region of Ethiopia where it has not rained for three years.
Pastoralist communities in the region have already lost half of their cattle herds. People are skipping meals and parents are pulling children out of school so that they can help to beg in towns or scour the countryside for food.
“Millions of people are in extreme distress and urgently need food and nutrition,” said Sheeran.
WFP is facing a similar humanitarian challenge in neighbouring Somalia, where 3.25 million people – almost half the population – have been affected by drought, high food prices and conflict.
Ninety percent of WFP’s food deliveries to Somalia arrive by sea, but attacks by pirates are disrupting supply lines and discouraging ship owners from making the journey.
A Canadian naval vessel that has been escorting ships carrying humanitarian aid will withdraw its support on 27 September, and no nation has yet volunteered to take over this protective role.
UNIDO Holds High-level Dialogue on Accelerating Poverty Reduction and Economic Growth in Africa
VIENNA, AUSTRIA – The Director-General of UNIDO, Mr. Kandeh K. Yumkella, will lead a high-level dialogue on “Accelerating Poverty Reduction and Economic Growth: Transforming African Countries into Tiger Economies”, on 22 September 2008 during the High-Level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on Africa’s Development Needs.
President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania and Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia, are expected to deliver the keynote statements. Ms. Asha-Rose Migiro, UN Deputy-Secretary-General, will open the high-level dialogue with statements to be given by Mr. Stefano Manservisi, Director-General of the European Commission’s Development Cooperation, Ambassador Olukorede Willoughby, Chief Executive Officer of the New Economic Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD), Mr. Namanga Ngongi, President, AGRA, Ms. Patricia Francis, Executive Director, International Trade Centre, Mr. Abdoulie Janneh, Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Africa, and Mr. Charles Gore, Special Coordinator, UNCTAD. Mr. Cheick Sidi Diara, Under Secretary General, Office of the Special Adviser on Africa will give the concluding remarks.
Drawing on relevant experiences from the newly industrialized countries in Asia and elsewhere, the high-level dialogue will discuss how the current growth momentum in Africa can transform African countries into tiger economies and thus accelerate the process of wealth creation and poverty reduction in the continent. The panel of speakers will also discuss how international and regional cooperation, including South-South cooperation, can help facilitate inclusive and equitable growth in Africa; how the requirements of rapid economic growth and environmental protection can be reconciled; how domestic financial resources may be better harnessed for development; how increased participation in international trade can boost the growth momentum in Africa; and how agricultural development can stimulate broader economic growth while enhancing food security, reducing poverty, and preserving the environment.
The meeting is being organized by UNIDO in cooperation with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
For more information, please contact:
Mr. George Assaf
UNIDO Spokesperson, UNIDO
Tel.: +43-1-26026-3489
(APA) ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA – The Inter-Parliamentary Union, which comprises 143 member countries announced on Monday plans to hold its general assembly in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital in April 2009, APA learns here.
The announcement was made by the visiting President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Pier Ferdinando Casini who arrived here on Monday to observe and discuss with Ethiopian officials about the preparations for the gathering.
Casini told reporters that hundreds of parliamentarians drawn from IPU member states, including many African countries would take part in the conference.
According to him, HIV/AIDS, drought, peace, and religious tolerance would be the major agenda items of the conference.
During ameeting with Ethiopian president Girma Woldegiorgisse, the two discussed issues relating to regional peace and security, including the situation in Somalia.
Established 120 years ago, IPU, which is based in Switzerland, has 143 member parliaments.
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – Ethiopia’s commodity exchange plans to trade coffee through a new electronic system, starting next month, the exchange said on Monday.
“Coffee trading will be conducted in the afternoons, beginning October, so as to link it with the New York market,” Eleni Gebremedhin, Director of the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) said.
To participate in the electronic trade, sellers will be required to produce warehouse receipts and buyers will have to show a pre-trade deposit in banks.
Ethiopia has won trademark rights for its specialty Sidamo, Harar and Yirgacheffe coffees and has signed agreement with 70 global companies to promote its coffee brands.
Ethiopia is Africa’s largest coffee producer and prides itself as the birth place of the beans. Last season, it exported 170,888 tonnes and earned $525.2 million.
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — A U.N. official says the number of Ethiopians needing emergency food aid has more than doubled.
World Food Program spokesman Barry Came says 9.6 million people need emergency food. This is more than twice the estimate of 4.6 million people released in June.
Came says the rise in Ethiopians needing food aid includes people not accounted for in previous assessments.
He said Monday that the increase comprises about 2 million residents of Ethiopia’s southeastern Somali region. The figure also includes 3.2 million people who had been covered by a plan intended to stave off chronic food shortages but now need emergency food aid.
Aid workers say this year’s drought is the worst since 2003.
By Allan Odhiambo and Zeddy Sambu
Business Daily Africa
As the race for contract stakes in the planned seven billion dollar new railway lines to link Kenya with key regional capitals begins in earnest, groups of international investors are now angling to be incorporated in the initial design study.
Though no concrete deals have been reached so far, sources in Government said a team of Chinese investors have already expressed interest in the design study of the planned new line between the Port of Mombasa and Nairobi while another group of investors from Russia are eyeing to carry out the task on the section between Nairobi and the Addis Ababa.
“The offers are coming through, the interest is great but no agreement has been reached with any group so far. Some thing will be on the table soon,” a senior official at the Transport ministry told Business Daily.
According to plans, Kenya envisaged to have a detailed design study for the phase one Mombasa to Malaba railway section by July 2009 to pave way for a decision on funding and operational structure.
The project implementation is scheduled to kick off by end of 2009 as part of a wider East Africa infrastructure development venture that targets to build 15 new railway lines connecting at least seven countries.
