Amhara region new chief administrator meets with UN representatives

Addis Ababa, September 6, 2023 (FBC) – The newly appointed chief administrator of the Amhara regional state, Arega Kebede and his entourage – the members of the newly restructured cabinet of the region – held a discussion with the representatives of various UN organs on the long-overdue rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts of the areas affected by the conflict in Northern Ethiopia.

In the discussion, the Amhara region chief administrator has called on humanitarian partners to strengthen their support to the efforts of rehabilitation and rebuilding of the areas in the region devastated by the two-year conflict in the northern part of Ethiopia.

He also briefed the representatives of the UN organs about the extent of the damage inflicted on infrastructures and the humanitarian and economic crisis in the Amhara region from 2020 to 2022.

It is known that the two-year conflict has heavily devastated Amhara, Afar and Tigray regions, which was later solved through the AU-facilitated Pretoria peace agreement on November 2, 2022.

Accordingly, Myriads of resources were destroyed during the war and many humanitarian crises have occurred, Arega reminded.

Even though rebuilding and rehabilitation efforts are being made in the conflict-ridden areas of Amhara region, the contribution of humanitarian partners should be enhanced due to the severe extent of the destruction in different parts of the region, he underlined.

Although the regional government has allocated 1 billion birr to build schools, health centers and water facilities in war-torn areas of the region, it is too small in view of the extent of the damage, the chief administrator said.

The role of humanitarian organizations in reconstructing and rehabilitating efforts on the economic and humanitarian crisis in the Amhara region fell short of expectations, he confirmed, further urging the UN agencies thereby to support the economic development undertakings in the region.

It is stated that the UN organs’ representatives, for their part, said that they will provide humanitarian assistance to the crises in the region as well as continue their partnership with the region for sustainable development endeavors.

UN Resident & Humanitarian Coordinator, Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov, said that the UN organs will prioritize provision of humanitarian assistance and support to sustainable development activities in the region.

He also pledged that the UN organs will cooperate with the regional administration in agriculture, drinking water supply, health and other development activities.