Millions Under Severe Hunger Risk


Tens of millions in Ethiopia will face acute food shortages in three months if sufficient aid fails to arrive in time, warns a survey conducted by the Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Over 2.1 billion dollars is needed to address agricultural, nutritional and food insecurities that could put the lives of more than 20 million people in a precarious situation. USAID pledged 1.2 billion dollars three months ago in aid to respond to food insecurity in the Horn of Africa, following the survey's release that 32 million people across Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya face severe hunger. FAO urged prioritising drought and conflict-affected populations through life-sustaining food and nutrition assistance. The survey found close to 13 million people in Northern Ethiopia are in desperate need of emergency food assistance, showing 18pc increase from last year. Recurrent drought, depleting foreign exchange reserves, resumption of the war, periodic fuel shortages, and a sharp currency depreciation due to the parallel market exacerbated the economic outlook for the country.


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Parliament Nods for Cabinet Appointments

Federal legislators have approved five cabinet-level positions last week with a member of Parliament (MP) voted against and two abstentions were counted. Gedion Timotheos (PhD) leads the charge as the new minister of Foreign Affairs, filling in Taye Asqeselassie's shoes, where he stayed briefly before becoming the country's president. With law degrees from Addis Abeba and Central European universities, Gedion was previously Attorney General and Minister of Justice. Joining him in the redev...


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Abyssinia Group Eyes Expansion with IFC Funding

Abyssinia Group of Industries (AGI), a leading East African steel producer, is poised for significant expansion owing to a proposed investment from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) which is considering a financing package of up to 50 million dollars, including parallel loans in local currency. Headquartered in Kenya, AGI operates two steel plants in Ethiopia, six in Kenya, and has mining activities in Uganda. AGI currently produces 660,000 metric tons of steel annually and employs...


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Fitch Acknowledges Easing Financial Pressures, Enhanced Macroeconomic Stability

Fitch Ratings has upgraded Ethiopia's Long-Term Local-Currency Issuer Default Rating (LTLC IDR) to 'CCC+' from 'CCC-', citing easing financing pressures, improved macroeconomic stability, and increased confidence that local-currency obligations will not be part of the ongoing debt restructuring. This positive development comes as the government implements key reforms and secures renewed concessional external financing. The ratings agency has taken note of the introduction of a market-based ex...


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