The Ethiopian Electric Power on Wednesday stated that the country plans to build 71 power projects demanding over USD 40 billion over the next 10 years.
EEP Executive Officer, Andualem Siae said the project cost is expected to be covered by private and public partnerships, the African Development Bank, the World Bank, other development partners and financiers, Ethiopian Electric Power and the Ethiopian government.
Among the projects planned to be built in the next 10 years, are 16 water, 24 wind, 17 steam and 14 solar power projects, Andualem said.
Based on the directive, two solar power projects will be built by Saudi Arabia’s Aqua Power Company, which is in the process of being developed by private developers and private and public partners and the company is preparing to begin construction.
As to Andualem, negotiations have also started with the United Arab Emirates Company, Amia to build the Aisha 1 wind farm project, and bidding is underway to sort out developers for other wind power projects. (The Ethiopian Herald)
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Ministry confirms indications of third wave of COVID-19 outbreak in Ethiopia
Health Minister, Lia Tadesse on Tuesday urged the general public today to take all the proper cautions since there are indications of a third wave COVID-19 outbreak in Ethiopia.
Briefing the media, Lia said 5,547 citizens were infected by COVID-19 last week alone. Of these, 510 people are in severe conditions, while 66 died from the virus.
According to her, the rate of infection, which was 2-3 percent a few months ago, has jumped to 12 percent.
The number of infected people was 1,000 last Saturday alone and it demonstrates the rapid increase of the virus and was the highest since the start of the outbreak in Ethiopia, Lia elaborated.
Unless serious cautionary measures are taken at this juncture, scientific forecast predict a far worse situation, Lia warned.
Indicating that the key to curb the spread of the pandemic is in the hands of the public, she recommended reduction of meetings, keeping physical distance, proper hand washing and vaccination. (ENA)
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CARE Ethiopia to launch 225 mln birr project
CARE Ethiopia is about to launch a 225 million birr project on Monday that enables 10,300 individuals to find new ways of generating income instead of exploiting their young age children to labor so that they can remain in school.
According to a statement from CARE Ethiopia, the project will support vulnerable households to stop sending their children into labor at a young age exposing them to several abuses.
The Project is expected to help children to remain in school by finding ways of income generation to the 10,300 individuals.
CARE Ethiopia, which works with relevant actors to provide financial and technical supports, expressed commitment to work with relevant government officials to improve child labor policies and laws.
“Without robust child labor policy, enforcing preventive mechanisms against child labor will be nearly impossible. That is why we intend to create and provide the necessary financial and technical support to multi-stakeholder platform that conducts policy reviews,” CARE Ethiopia Deputy Country Director, Caitlin Gogin said. (ENA)
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Many children left without parents due to Galikoma massacre
The massacre committed by the terrorist TPLF on civilians in Galikoma, Afar region has left many children without guardians.
Following the unilateral humanitarian ceasefire declared by the government, the terrorist TPLF has continued its provocative acts on neighboring Afar and Amhara regional states.
According to reports, due to the continued attacks carried out by the terrorist TPLF, several civilians have been killed and many others displaced in Afar and Amhara regions.
Particularly in Afar region, the terrorist group brutally killed more than 240 civilians including 107 children sheltered at Galikoma temporary camp in FentiResu locality.
Furthermore, some 89 women and 44 elders have also been massacred in the attack.
During the attack, many people were injured, while the emergency aid, which was stored for IDPs, was completely burned by the terrorist group, residents of the area told the ENA.
Umed Ibrahim, a Security Guard in the area said many children were left orphaned by the terrorist group’s atrocities. (ENA)
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Somali forces recapture town after brief Al-Shabab seizure
Somali security forces recaptured the town of Amaara in the central Galmudug region after al-Shabab militants briefly took over early Tuesday following a dawn attack.
The attack on Amaara and a subsequent roadside explosion in the same vicinity killed at least six people, including four Somali soldiers.
Witnesses and officials told the VOA that al-Shabab militants began their attack with a suicide vehicle-borne explosion detonated near an army base.
Galmudug Information Minister, Ahmed Shire Falagle, confirmed the attack to VOA but disputed allegations that the town fell to al-Shabab. Falagle said the militants loaded a truck with sheep and goats to disguise the explosive-laden vehicle.
He said the truck exploded near a military camp, killing two civilians and three soldiers. A fourth soldier died, and six others were injured after their vehicle struck a landmine in the same vicinity, officials said.
The US military in Africa, known as AFRICOM, later confirmed conducting a “collective self-defense” strike against al-Shabab fighters. AFRICOM said the militants engaged in active combat with Somali forces. (VoA)
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Egypt to establish maternity, children hospital in Djibouti
Egypt’s Minister of Health and Population, Hala Zayed, received on Sunday, her Djiboutian counterpart, Ahmed Abdullah, to discuss the executive steps for establishing an Egyptian hospital in Djibouti, the first hospital specializing in maternity and children in the Horn of Africa country.
During the meeting, Zayed reviewed the proposed operation program for the hospital.
To be built on an area of more than 8,000 cubic meters, the hospital will include departments of obstetrics and gynecology, reception and emergency, intensive care, endoscopy, nurseries, children’s operating rooms, and women’s operating rooms.
It also contains outpatient clinics, pregnancy and childbirth follow-up clinics, and a radiology department that includes all types of radiology, and a laboratory.
The Minister noted that the hospital will be provided with a service area that includes an ambulance, a water treatment plant, a power station, and a station for the safe disposal of medical waste.
Additionally, a nursing school will be attached to the hospital, specializing in children and women under Egyptian supervision, to ensure the sustainability of the services provided in the hospital. (Daily News Egypt)
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UNHCR’s Grandi urges greater support for Sudan and South Sudan
UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, on Tuesday called for concerted efforts to find lasting solutions for nearly seven million forcibly displaced people from Sudan and South Sudan, following the conclusion of a three-day visit to the two countries.
Grandi urged continued support for the peace process and in particular a solution initiative that was agreed to by the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Support Platform, with support from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
The initiative aims to find lasting solutions for refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs), returnees and host communities in Sudan and South Sudan.
As he concluded his two-day visit to Sudan, Grandi met with Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who is also the current IGAD Chairperson. They discussed how the two countries can work together to lead the process of finding durable and sustainable solutions for their displaced populations in the region. (UNHCR)
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Joint calls on Sudan gov’t to transfer Al Bashir to ICC ‘without delay’
More than 65 Sudanese and international civil society organizations are calling on the Sudanese government to transfer former President Omar Al Bashir and the other indicted persons to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague “without delay.”
The “victims should not be made to wait any longer for justice,” the 67 Sudanese and international signatories stated in their letter sent to Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, the Sovereignty Council and the Council of Ministers on Thursday.
“We were deeply encouraged to learn that the Council of Ministers approved in June, the transfer of three individuals currently in Sudanese custody to the International Criminal Court (ICC),” the letter reads.
“We are now writing to urge the Sovereign Council to follow suit and swiftly facilitate the handover of Omar al-Bashir, Ahmed Haroun, and Abdel Raheem Muhammad Hussein. We commend the transitional government for the historic steps that it has already taken to cooperate with the ICC, including by facilitating the ICC Prosecutor’s first visit to Darfur in connection with the ongoing case for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Ali Kushayb. (Radio Dabanga)
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