BY ANDUALEM SISAY GESSESSE – The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of Ethiopia today donated over three million birr (about $91,000 at current exchange rate) for people with the disabilities and elderly to help them fight the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
It is indicated that the financial support provided by the Ministry is aimed at helping the people with disabilities and elders in the capital Addis Ababa, who are likely to be vulnerable to coronavirus pandemic. Minister of Labor and Social Affairs of Ethiopia Ergoge Tesfaye has handed over the donation this afternoon.
She indicated that the money will be used for providing foods and sanitary items for the elderly and people with the disability in the Addis Ababa and regional towns. The Ministry is working with different donors and development agencies to provide such donations and grants to those highly vulnerable to COVID-19 pandemic.
It is recalled that the Ministry has recently signed agreement with the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia, which received a donation of 100 million birr (about $3 million) from the ruling Prosperity Party for the fight against the spread of coronavirus after the rebranded Party managed to raise over 1.5 billion birr (about 46 million) from the private sector for its election campaign and related activities.
As of today a total of 44 people in Ethiopia are reported to be COVID-19 positive. The country has also reported the first two deaths yesterday. In Africa over 400 people have died by the global pandemic while over 70,500 people have passed across the globe. Europe and the United Sates are reported to have the majority of COVID-19 infections and death. The total number of infected people by coronavirus in the world so fat has surpassed 1,289,380. Over 270,370 p[eople have recovered from the pandemic after getting treatment, according to the latest update of Johns Hopkins University.