USAID Partially Resumes Food Assistance

Oct 7 , 2023


[ssba-buttons]

USAID resumes food aid strictly for refugees in Ethiopia after more than four months of suspension due to alleged food diversions by officials. Meanwhile, a plan to mitigate the risk of diversions around the world by appointing a new agency coordinator to work for strengthened oversight reforms was ushered in by USAID, according to a statement released last week. The reforms are put in place to strengthen program monitoring and oversight, reinforce commodity tracking, and improve beneficiary registration processes in the food assistance structure. The federal government has relinquished responsibility for the dispatch, warehousing, and distribution of refugee food aid to USAID partners where about 20 million people are in need of food assistance. The majority are recovering from the devastation of the two-year civil war, compounded by drought and mounting economic challenges.


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...