By Getahun Tsegaye @GetahunTsegay12
Addis Abeba – The United States Government today handed over 250 metric tons of humanitarian supplies to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Office in Addis Abeba to provide emergency support to thousands of people affected by the conflict in the Amhara and Afar regions.
IOM Acting Chief of Mission, Jian Zhao, and Nesibu Yassin, Deputy Commissioner of the Ethiopia Disaster Risk Management Commission (NDRMC) received supplies worth over $1.5 million from Ambassador Tracey A. Jacobson, Chargé d’affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Addis Abeba this morning. At the handover ceremony, it is stated that NDRMC and IOM will distribute the supplies to tens of thousands of citizens.
At the event, Ambassador Jacobson recalled the continuous provision of emergency assistance by the U.S. to Ethiopia over the last 17 months. “This time USAID’s airlift of relief supplies will provide tens of thousands of families with their most fundamental needs,” the ambassador said.
The IOM Acting Chief of Mission, Jian Zhao, on his part stated that the partnership of the IOM with the United States Government enabled much-needed assistance to the people affected by the conflict in Ethiopia. He noted that currently about 4.2 million people were internally displaced across Ethiopia due to conflicts and natural disasters such as drought and floods. The IOM chief pledged to continue efforts to assist the government of Ethiopia in ensuring displaced people have access to safer shelter, and better sanitation and hygiene.
The United States called upon all parties to begin an immediate cessation of hostilities, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and negotiate a resolution to the conflict. AS
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