UK Foreign Secretary visits delivery of humanitarian aid in northern Ethiopia

Addis Ababa, January 23, 2021 (FBC) –The UK Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State, Dominic Raab, yesterday visited the delivery of the humanitarian assistance to those in need in the northern part of Ethiopia.

The Foreign Secretary saw how the £11m of UKAID is supporting  WFP and NGOs to make sure the relief aid reaches those affected by the recent law enforcement operation in the region.

Raab arrived in Ethiopia yesterday after concluding his visit to Kenya and Sudan.

In his day-long visit to Ethiopia, he met with President Sahle-Work Zewde as well as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Demeke Mekonnen.

During a meeting with the President, the two discussed bilateral and regional issues as well as the strong multi sectoral ties between the two countries.

Similarly, the Foreign Secretary also exchanged views with Demeke on the on-going humanitarian assistance and reconstruction efforts in Tigray regional state.

Demeke briefed him on the collaborative of humanitarian actors and the government in addressing the humanitarian needs and the reconstruction activities that are being undertaken in the Tigray region.

As UK will be hosting this year’s climate change conference of the parties, Demeke expressed Ethiopia’s commitment to continue to address the effects of climate change and said that the implementation of its climate resilient and green economy strategy is well underway, including achieving the target of planting 20 billion seedlings in four years.

Rabb applauded the government’s efforts with regards to the development of renewable resources and said that Ethiopia is a beacon of hope for the region when it comes to addressing the effects of climate change.

He also said that ambitious commitment is expected at the COP 26 which will be hosted in Glasgow at the end of this year.

The Foreign Secretary expressed the commitment of the UK government to continue to support Ethiopia’s development efforts, including girls’ education.

The two Ministers also exchanged views on regional issues and agreed to continue to work together to further strengthen the relations between the two countries.