Ethiopia building modern warehouses to boost strategic reserve capacity to 47 percent 

Addis Ababa, July 12, 2024 (FBC) – The Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission has announced the construction of modern warehouses that will increase the national strategic reserve capacity from 23 percent to 47 percent.

Disaster Risk Management Commission Commissioner Ambassador Shiferaw Teklemariam stated that the nation has successfully instituted a system to improve operational capacity, aiming to cover humanitarian support through self-reliance.

Shiferaw explained that a dependency mindset leads to widespread complacency, stifling innovation and undermining industriousness.

He emphasized that such an attitude is inconsistent with Ethiopian culture and identity.

With this in mind, the new Disaster Risk Management Policy seeks to elevate citizens’ productivity-oriented thinking and provide a foundation for moving beyond a culture of dependency.

The Commissioner highlighted the establishment of a contingency fund to boost revenue capacity. This system allows for public participation beyond government allocations with a view to enhancing overall disaster preparedness.

He noted that the current national warehouse storage capacity stands at 23 percent. To address this, modern storage facilities meeting international standards are being constructed in central Ethiopia, Amhara, and Somali regions.

Upon completion of the modern storage facilities under construction in Hossana, Finote Selam, and Kebri Dehar, the strategic reserve capacity is expected to reach 47 percent.

The new policy aims to strengthen the country’s sovereign independence and citizens’ dignity by enhancing the capacity to respond to disasters using domestic resources and bolstering reserve funds.

The contingency fund is designed to create resources for addressing challenges at any time and under any circumstances, covering pre-disaster, during-disaster, and post-disaster activities.

Particularly, by reinforcing the community’s culture of mutual support, efforts are underway to create a strategic reserve capacity of over 500,000 metric tons for activities before, during, and after disasters.

At the federal level, 150,000 metric tons of strategic reserve resources are being stockpiled, while a system is being developed for regions to cultivate their reserves based on specific environmental assets.

Shiferaw concluded by stating that building resilience through cooperation and networking to combat disaster risk vulnerability is another crucial focus area in the institution’s efforts to respond to disasters using domestic resources, per ENA.