Conflict Affected Rural Areas Foresee Help from EU


Conflict Affected Rural Areas Foresee Help from EU

Rural areas damaged by conflicts, with estimated inhabitants of eight million people, foresee humanitarian assistance from the European Union (EU). The EU will donate 35 million euros to support the Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP), now beginning its fifth phase to provide food, job, health, and social caregiving sectors and services. The overall budget for the five-year program will be 2.38 billion dollars. Solomon Kebede, press and information officer, said the EU has been working with the program since its launch in 2005. It was introduced after the most hotly contested national elections that year when donors felt their trust was breached following widespread clampdown. A series of protests in Addis Abeba and other towns against what the opposition claimed were rigged elections outcomes led to the death of hundreds of people. Donors, mainly from the EU, discontinued providing direct budget support, replacing it with PNSP. Roland Kobia, EU's ambassador, and the World Bank Country Directors, agriculture and finance ministries' representatives are expected to attend the ceremony on Monday, December 12, 2022, at the EU office on Cape Verde St. In 2011, a severe drought in 60 years affected the Eastern Africa region, causing famine in Somalia and acute hunger and malnutrition in northern Kenya. Ethiopia managed the crisis without experiencing famine. During the 2015-16 El Nino droughts, which resulted in millions of Ethiopians requiring emergency food assistance, PSNP was hailed for demonstrating how contingency arrangements could be used during emergencies.

[ssba-buttons]

Radar

Bank of Abyssinia Signs Partnership with Droga Cooperative

Bank of Abyssinia has entered into a partnership agreement with Droga Health & Financial Savings and Credit Cooperative to provide financial support and services for its members. The agreement was signed yesterday at the Bank's headquarters. The deal aims to strengthen collaboration between the two institutions, enabling cooperative members to access tailored banking services. It was signed by Wosenyeleh Abera, Deputy CEO for Customer Relations and Marketing at the bank, and Zelalem Yilma...


Radar

Wegagen Introduces Real Time SWIFT Tracking

Wegagen Bank has launched a new mobile app feature enabling customers to track international SWIFT payments in real time. The bank is the first in Ethiopia to introduce an online SWIFT payment tracking system. By integrating SWIFT Global Payment Innovation, customers, particularly those involved in import-export trade, can monitor cross-border transactions using a Unique End-to-End Transaction Reference (UETR) directly from their smartphones. To use the service, customers select the SWIFT...


Radar

National ID, Zambia Partners to Expands Program Reach

The National ID Program has signed an agreement with Zambia's counterpart to provide consulting services for the development of software that will issue digital IDs. It is the first time the institution has extended its expertise beyond national borders, a sign of growing recognition for its rapid progress. Program officials described the partnership as a milestone in their effort to position themselves as a regional player in digital transformation. The collaboration is expected to center...