July 20, 2005
No. 35/05

The United States Supports Ethiopia’s Disaster
Response Capacity - New Funding Promotes Improved Management and Planning

The United States Supports Ethiopia’s Disaster-Response Capacity - New Funding Promotes Improved Management and Planning

 Addis Ababa (U.S. Embassy) -- On July 20, the U.S. Government signed an agreement providing an additional $1,870,261 (16,215,163 Birr) to help Ethiopia’s Federal Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission (DPPC) better anticipate and manage crises.  United States Ambassador Aurelia E. Brazeal and Director of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Ethiopia Mr. William Hammink,  signed the agreement on behalf of the U. S. Government, and DPPC Commissioner Mr. Simon Mechale signed on behalf of the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

 Speaking at the signing ceremony, Ambassador Brazeal noted the importance of agreements such as this one as a “sign of the continued and long-lasting partnership between the U.S. and Ethiopia, based on a foundation of people-to-people relationships that began over a century ago.  The agreements also serve as a reminder that both the United States Government and the Government of Ethiopia remain committed to supporting Ethiopia’s long-term development and the well being of Ethiopia’s citizens.”  She pointed out the timeliness of the event, saying, “We sign these grants at a time when the United States is demonstrating its support to Africa and its people in many ways, including President Bush’s commitment, reaffirmed earlier this month in advance of the G8 summit in Scotland, to double U.S. assistance to Africa by 2010.” 

Since 2004, the United States Government, through USAID, has contributed over $3.9 million (more than 33.9 million Birr) to Ethiopia to strengthen the capacity of the DPPC and other elements of the Ethiopian Government at the federal, regional, and woreda levels, allowing them to better respond in a coordinated fashion to various crises.

 Specific activities under this five-year program include efforts to improve DPPC policy and operational guidelines; to ensure better trained disaster-response staff and improved communication and logistical equipment at the federal, regional and woreda levels; and to improve knowledge-management capacity that will provide a greater ability to anticipate crises, primarily through emergency needs-assessment procedures.  

 ####