The European Union (EU) is set to provide 33.5 million euros grant to the Government of Ethiopia for EU-TRUST Fund for Disaster Risk Reduction project.
The Ministry of Finance of Ethiopia indicated that the project focuses on strengthening households, communities and local authorities to manage and adapt to disasters and other risks. It aims to reduce humanitarian and economic impact including forced displacement and irregular migration.
The early warning systems will be implemented in Somali, Afar, Oromia, Amhara and Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples regional states. The fund 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, according to Erik Habers, Cooperation Head for EU Delegation to Ethiopia, who signed the deal.
The State Minister of Finance of Ethiopia Admasu Nebebe, said the 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.
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. 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, according to Admasu.