The U.S. Government through its United States Agency for International Development (USAID) officially launched a new, five-year Disaster Risk Management (DRM) project October 15 at Arba Minch University.
The $49 million strategic initiative aims to build Ethiopia’s capacity to anticipate, respond to, and manage natural and human-made disasters, ensuring that communities are well-prepared and able to withstand the impacts of crises.
USAID’s DRM project aims to build Ethiopia’s resilience by strengthening disaster risk management planning, enhancing coordination across sectors, improving resource mobilization, and reducing the impacts of crises. In addition, the program emphasizes gender inclusion in emergencies, boosts private sector engagement, and empowers local organizations to take an active role in disaster management.
Ethiopia faces increasing risks from droughts, floods, and other shocks, with climate change exacerbating these challenges. To address these vulnerabilities, USAID’s DRM project focuses on building resilience and strengthening coordination among local, regional, and national stakeholders.
“We go beyond just disaster response to help those most in need, working together with the Government of Ethiopia, other partners, and local communities to address disaster risk and reduce the future need for large scale humanitarian response,” said Charles Wanjue, USAID Ethiopia Humanitarian Assistance Office Director.
Senior representatives from the government, local and international organizations, and consortium partners participated in the launch, demonstrating broad-based support for this critical initiative.
USAID estimates that anticipatory DRM can reduce the impact of disasters for approximately 14 million of the most vulnerable Ethiopians.