Ethiopia airlifts over 30,000 nationals from Middle East countries

Addis Ababa, July 24, 2020 (FBC) –Ethiopia has so far airlifted more than 30,000 nationals from the Middle East countries following the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

According to ambassador Dina Mufti, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they were brought back home from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Beirut and other countries.

He said efforts would be made to sustainably reintegrate and rehabilitate the returnees.

The Spokesperson further said the successful completion of the first filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to diplomacy.

The trilateral negotiations being held under the auspices of the African Union (AU), regarding the dam is a diplomatic victory for Ethiopia, he said.

Ethiopia announced the successful completion of the first-year target for filling the dam last Tuesday.

GERD, which is under construction on the Abbay River in Ethiopia’s Benishangul Gumuz regional state, is now more than 74.5 % complete.