#Ethiopia: Disaster Risk Management Council holds first emergency response meeting in seven years as ongoing drought devours millions of #Ethiopians

However, this is the first emergency meeting by the Council convened to review the reports showing the scale and depths of the ongoing drought, the extent of the damage on both human lives livestock heads and properties.

During the 2016 drought in which more than 10 million Ethiopians were exposed to climate shock and were left in need of emergency food assistance, a similar emergency response plan was coordinated under the auspices of Demeke Mekonnen, then deputy prime Minister, enabling Ethiopia stave off the impacts of the drought before the lives of human and livestock were lost.

But despite the presence of multiple warnings and media reports in the last year and half, minimum efforts were exerted by the government to mitigate the ongoing drought, which has already devoured millions of livestock in #Borana zone, southern #Oromia and #Dawa zone in #Somali regional state.

In the pastoralist and semi-pastoralist communities in South #Omo zone in Ethiopia’s Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR) region, an outbreak of Hashimoto’s disease driven from the drought has killed at least 11 people, officials told Addis Standard. reports are surfacing from #Konso and #Dawro zones of the same region indicating the death of humans as well as livestock due to the drought.

https://addisstandard.com/news-disaster-risk-management-council-holds-first-emergency-response-meeting-in-seven-years-as-ongoing-drought-devours-millions-of-ethiopians/

#NewsAlert: Blinken due in #Ethiopia next week

State Department confirmed that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Ethiopia next week.

Blinken will travel to Ethiopia and Niger March 14-17, 2023. “On March 15, the Secretary will visit Addis Abeba, Ethiopia where he will discuss implementation of the cessation of hostilities agreement to advance peace and promote transitional justice in northern Ethiopia. He will also meet humanitarian partners and civil society actors to discuss humanitarian assistance delivery, food security, and human rights,” the state department said.

He is also expected to meet with African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat.

https://addisstandard.com/newsalert-blinken-due-in-ethiopia-next-week/

#Ethiopia: #Sidama region says recent deadly violence near bordering West #Arsi, #Oromia region neither border dispute nor ethnic clash

Sidama region has said that the recent violence that saw at least a dozen people killed in border areas with West Arsi zone of the neighboring Oromia region is neither border dispute nor ethnic clashes between the Sidama and the Oromo people, as widely reported.

Speaking to #AddisStandard, Alemayehu Timothewos, head of the Justice and Security Bureau of Sidama region, said that the violence erupted last week after a dispute between individuals was escalated.

Alemayehu said that several people were killed and property was destroyed due to the conflict, and said that there were casualties from both sides. He stated that the conflict occurred after an ethnic Sidama individual killed a person in a fight that broke out in Gubo village of East Guji Zone. Relatives of the victim then traced the individual and acted in retaliation killing many people and destroying properties.

Ahmed Haji, the chief administrator of West Arsi Zone, corroborated Alemayehu’s remarks, and said reports that the deceased were attacked after they were called for a meeting is inaccurate.

https://addisstandard.com/news-sidama-region-says-recent-deadly-violence-near-bordering-west-arsi-oromia-region-neither-border-dispute-nor-ethnic-clash/

Rebuilding schools, hospitals top priority in #Ethiopia's #Tigray: charity

Rebuilding schools and hospitals is the "number one priority" in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region after two years of brutal conflict, Janti Soeripto, head of the US-based charity Save the Children told AFP on Friday.

"It's everything. Absolutely, physical infrastructures need to be rebuilt: from water systems, boreholes, water pumps... a lot of it was literally destroyed. I have seen pictures of healthcare facilities that were completely ripped apart, completely. Not only were stuff taken, but X-ray machines were smashed, all the equipment was taken, fridges are gone, the building is completely unusable. So physical infrastructures, rebuilding of school and healthcare facilities: absolutely number one priority. But then there's the stuff that is invisible... how do we make sure they get access to the mental health and psychosocial support they need?"

https://www.zawya.com/en/economy/africa/rebuilding-schools-hospitals-top-priority-in-ethiopias-tigray-charity-pxs1qgtf

News: #Amnesty asks #Blinken to put human rights at heart of conversation with Prime Minister Abiy

“Secretary Blinken’s trip to Ethiopia comes at a critical time in the implementation of the Cessation of Hostilities (CoH) and when the Ethiopian government is actively mobilizing support to terminate the mandate of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (#ICHREE),” Kate Hixon, Africa Advocacy Director at Amnesty International USA, said. “United States and international community engagement remains vital, and it is positive to see the Secretary prioritizing Ethiopia.”

Last week, a group of 63 worldwide human rights organizations including Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International (AI) appealed to the permanent representatives of member and observer states of the United Nations Human Rights Council, on February 28, to reject any resolution forwarded by Ethiopia the mandate of the UN’s International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE).

The group’s appeal came in the backdrop of news that Ethiopia has circulated a draft resolution asking for the termination of the rights experts in the country.

“We write to urge your delegations to reject any resolution to prematurely terminate the mandate of ICHREE, and to express your support for the mandate and work of the Commission,” the group’s appeal reads.

Ethiopia’s latest attempt at blocking the ICHREE and its works failed in December last year when its draft resolution requesting the Fifth Committee of the UN General Assembly to not approve any resources was rejected by a vote of 71 against 32 in favor, whereas 50 members states abstained the vote.

https://addisstandard.com/news-amnesty-asks-blinken-to-put-human-rights-at-heart-of-conversation-with-prime-minister-abiy/

News: #Ethiopia dismayed by #ArabLeague’s resolution calling for “flexibility” on filling, operation of #GERD

Ethiopia said it is dismayed by the resolution issued by the Arab League regarding the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

A statement released by the Foreign Affairs Ministry said that “the management and utilization of the Nile River, including the filling and operation of the GERD, must be left to the concerned parties in Africa” accusing the Arab League of serving “as the spokesperson of one state, disregarding basic principles of international law”.

“Such attempts to politicize the issue of GERD neither advance friendly relations nor support the efforts to arrive at amicable solutions, as they are not based on facts or supported by law,” the statement added.

On 09 March, the Arab League’s foreign ministers council issued a resolution calling on Ethiopia to show flexibility on filling and operation of the GERD, after the Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry asked Arab nations to pressure Ethiopia to halt its “unilateral and unco-operative practices” according to media reports.

https://addisstandard.com/news-ethiopia-dismayed-by-arab-leagues-resolution-calling-for-flexibility-on-filling-operation-of-gerd/

Commentary: Ever-increasing #Cholera outbreak in #Oromia Region may lead to disastrous consequences – #OPA

Cholera cases have been on the rise from 2015 to 2023, creating an even greater challenge for the region. In that time frame, there have been 109 cases and 1 death in 2015, 5232 cases and 59 deaths in 2016, 3433 cases and 21 deaths in 2017, 123 cases in 2018, 970 cases and 5 deaths in 2019, 1488 cases and 13 deaths in 2020, 604 cases and 4 deaths in 2021, and 1329 cases and 22 deaths in 2022, resulting in an average case fatality rate of 1.7% in the region, beyond the World Health Organization’s acceptable rate of 1%. The outbreak has been mainly concentrated in 4 zones and 97 woredas, with Bale Zone having the highest case fatality rate of 3.1%, and Delo Mena woreda’s case fatality reaching as high as 9.1%.

The main cause of these outbreaks is the failure to effectively implement the four steps necessary for the control of outbreaks and pandemics: prevention, response, management and control.

https://addisstandard.com/commentary-ever-increasing-cholera-outbreak-in-oromia-region-may-lead-to-disastrous-consequences-opa/

News: Communities in drought-hit #Borana reel amid rising aid delivery scandal, officials refute allegations

By Biruk Alemu and Medihane Ekubamichael

#Yabelo, Borana – Community members in Yabelo, the administrative capital of the drought-hit Borana zone, in Southern Oromia, are reeling in the midst of allegations on the rising cases of corruption in aid administration that saw a portion of the aid deliveries are taken for personal use by the people in charge of local aid distribution.

Alarmed community members informed team Addis Standard on the ground that they encountered flour branded after Busa Gonofa, a regional relief commission, solely packed for aid purposes were appearing on markets in the outskirts of Yabelo.

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“Retailers are even asked to buy flour that came through individual and group aid providers”, said one resident, adding that the issue has been lurking in the town, and he believes that most of the aid donations are highly likely to end up into the pockets of corrupted officials in charge of receiving the aid at the warehouses in Yabelo.

https://addisstandard.com/news-communities-in-drought-hit-borana-reel-amid-rising-aid-scandal-officials-refute-allegations/

#Ethiopia: Political parties oppose ongoing consultations on transitional justice policy options, urge priority for peace, national dialogue

Several leaders of opposition political parties who were invited to take part in the ongoing nationwide consultations on transitional justice policy options have walked out of a meeting on Friday 10 February, urging the government to give priority for peace and national political dialogue.

The consultation forums are being organized by the Ministry of Justice to engage various stakeholders in the formulation of a policy document that guides the transitional justice process that Ethiopia aspires to embark on.

Chairperson of the Sidama Federalist Party Elias Tesemma who took part in the consultation prepared for opposition political groups last week told #AddisStandard that “it is political problems that are trembling the country, and a consensus through national political dialogue should precede any attempt of ensuring transitional justice and reconciliation”

https://addisstandard.com/news-political-parties-oppose-ongoing-consultations-on-transitional-justice-policy-options-urge-priority-for-peace-national-dialogue/

Children in #Ethiopia’s #Tigray Region return to school, but trauma lingers

The more than two-year-long civil war in Ethiopia has left many children orphaned or separated from their families.

The psychological trauma lingers for these children.

https://www.voanews.com/a/children-in-ethiopia-tigray-region-return-to-school-but-trauma-lingers/7002509.html

#Ethiopia-#Israel - #Israeli teachers' racist WhatsApp chat caught by pupils

Israel's education minister has apologised to Ethiopian Israeli schoolgirls whose teachers mocked them in a WhatsApp group on a school trip.

The girls spotted the teachers messaging each other in a chat group they created called Black School Trip.

One of the girls filmed the chat over a teacher's shoulder, then shared it on social media, calling the teachers "a disgrace".

The teachers involved were suspended and the incident is being investigated.

There are about 150,000 citizens of Ethiopian origin in Israel, the first of whom arrived in sizeable numbers in a series of top secret Mossad-led operations in the 1980s.

The Ethiopian Jews' integration in Israel has been challenging, with the community suffering disproportionately high levels of unemployment and poverty as well as discrimination, although their situation has shown signs of improvement in recent years.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-64919768

#Ethiopia: Rampant cash hoarding regress improved banking services in #Tigray, cash shortage persists after central bank dispensed 5 billion birr

By Mihret G Kristos

Banks in Tigray are facing cash shortage and therefore significantly limited the amount of money one can withdraw due to widespread cash hoarding after the central bank dispensed 5 billion birr to Tigray in February.

The decision had enabled banks to resume their much-needed services amidst growing complaints from residents who despite re-opening of banks in the region were unable to get services due to shortage of cash. The services however are short lived.

A bank manager at one of the private banks in Mekelle, capital of Tigray region, who asked not to be named, told Addis Standard that traders and the rich have withdrawn all their money in cash in the first two weeks after the central bank sent 5 billion birr cash to Tigray.

At the time, “we have been providing withdrawal services according to the central bank’s standard, allowing an individual to withdraw up to 50,000 birr cash per day. In the first two weeks branches have been withdrawing up to 30 million birr everyday” he said.

https://addisstandard.com/news-rampant-cash-hoarding-regress-improved-banking-services-in-tigray-cash-shortage-persists-after-central-bank-dispensed-5-billion-birr/

News: #SaudiArabia resumes #Ethiopian domestic workers recruitment after three years of deferment, recruitment fee limits at $1,840

Addis Abeba: Saudi Arabia has announced the reopening of doors for domestic workers after three years long of deferment, limiting the recruitment fee for domestic agencies to 1,840 USD. The Ministry of Human Resource and Social Development (MHRSD) has issued a warning that organizations and agencies that are authorized to hire domestic workers in the nation must adhere to the established payment ceiling.

The payment ceiling set for #Ethiopia is very low compared to other countries.

The decision fits with the Ministry's ongoing efforts to organize and regulate recruitment market prices as well as monitor and manage their implementation to guarantee the caliber of the services provided.

A year ago, #AddisStandard received several reports of detainees held in inhumane conditions in Saudi Arabia prisons. Ethiopians detained in Saudi Arabia’s prisons revealed that a crackdown on illegal, as well as legit, migrants targeted many Ethiopians. Nursing mothers, infants, and pregnant women were suffering in the prison without sufficient food, medicine, and a proper place to sleep, and urged the government to intervene, according to the detainees; complaining about Embassy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) officials abandoning their responsibilities and ignoring their pleas.

MHRSD has issued instructions governing the transfer of domestic workers’ sponsorship and rules for recruiting and presentation of labor services with the aim of strengthening the contractual connection and increasing market attractiveness.

Editor's Note: This story is edited to correct the $1,840 recruitment fee which was reported as wage limit.


https://addisstandard.com/news-saudi-arabia-resumes-domestic-workers-recruitment-after-three-years-of-deferment-wage-labor-limits-at-1840/

News: Security, Intelligence Task Force accuses “some foreign nationals” of alleged dollar laundering and counterfeit

The Ethiopian Joint Security and Intelligence Task Force accused “some foreign nationals” who enter the country using tourist visas and other legal means, are engaged in weakening #Ethiopia’s economy by “printing counterfeit dollars” using rented hotel and guest rooms as their basis. Without mentioning the nationalities of the said foreign nationals, the Joint Task Force said that some of these suspects are “detained and being investigated.” It also accused suspected of “using drugs.”

The Joint Task Force said that in an operation it conducted in different parts of Addis Abeba city on Saturday 11 March, five individuals suspected of “illegal dollar circulation”, “counterfeit dollar printing”, and “illicit weapons circulation” have been detained and are being investigated. However, it didn’t clarify if all the five suspects were foreign nationals.

https://addisstandard.com/news-security-intelligence-task-force-accuses-some-foreign-nationals-of-alleged-dollar-laundering-and-counterfeit/

#Ethiopia: Newly established #Gurage opposition party complains detention of its leaders, undue pressure from gov’t

The newly established Gurage opposition political party, Gurage Unity and Justice Party (#GOGOT) has said security forces detained 12 leaders and officials of the party on Monday as part of continued pressure from the government since its establishment.

The party received its temporary license from the Ethiopian National Election Board (NEBE) only three months ago.

Mohammed Abrar, the party’s communication officer, told #AddisStandard on Tuesday, that out of the 12 leaders and officials, 10 have been released while Jefar Temam and Remedan Nurgeta still remain behind bars and they have not yet appeared in court.

According to Mohammed the leaders and officials were arrested while they were returning home after attending the party’s general assembly which was held yesterday at Wabi Shebele Hotel in Addis Abeba.

https://addisstandard.com/new-newly-established-gurage-opposition-party-complains-detention-of-its-leaders-undue-pressure-from-govt/

News: #US announces allocating nearly $2 m to support independent investigations of human rights atrocities as #Blinken arrives in #AddisAbeba

The US State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) has announced the billing of 1.975 million USD to support independent investigations of human rights atrocities and justice and accountability processes for alleged atrocities “committed by all sides” in Ethiopia’s two years war.

The announcement followed United States (US) Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s arrival in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia late at night on Tuesday.

Bilinken’s visit is the first high-ranking visit by a US official to Ethiopia since the outbreak of the war in November 2020, when the US-Ethiopian relationship began to deteriorate due mostly to ,the war’s atrocities against civilians in Tigray, Amhara, and Afar regions and the US’ repeated calls for early cessation of hostilities, which the Ethiopian government rejected for nearly two years.

But it is not clear if the US’ allocation of the fund to support independent investigations will be extended to support #ICHREE’s ongoing works.

https://addisstandard.com/news-us-announces-allocating-nearly-2-m-to-support-independent-investigations-of-human-rights-atrocities-as-blinken-arrives-in-addis-abeba/

#Blinken meets #Ethiopian leaders to repair ties damaged by war

#US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Ethiopia's foreign minister in Addis Abeba on Wednesday, as their two governments look to repair relations strained by the two-year civil war in the Tigray region.

Blinken, who began his talks with Demeke Mekonnen with a coffee ceremony, was also due to meet Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and leaders of the Tigray forces that battled the federal government in the war in the northern region.
"There is a lot to be done. Probably the most important thing is to deepen the peace that has taken hold in the north," Blinken told reporters.

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#Eritrean troops remain in several border areas while militia from the Amhara region, which neighbours Tigray, occupy large areas of territory in ...western and southern #Tigray, humanitarian workers said.

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/blinken-meet-ethiopian-government-leaders-repair-ties-2023-03-15/