The recent donation of €33 million by the European Union (EU) for the response to the crisis in Ethiopia could be the catalyst for putting the war-torn country on the path to recovery.
The war in Tigray, which lasted for two years, descended the country into a humanitarian crisis that saw about 5.2 million people in need of life-saving assistance.
Key social infrastructures were also not left out, as just over 8,500 schools have either been partially damaged or destroyed in ten conflict-affected regions.
Through its partnership with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP), the EU’s new donation aims to help restore education services and implement school feeding programmes across the country.
In a statement, the EU Ambassador, Roland Kobia, said the new funds will support education, health, protection, school feeding, and WASH services as they concern Ethiopian children.
‘Children are the innocent victims in any war and often suffer the most. Their lives are disrupted, and their education is interrupted’, Kobia said.
‘Overall, nearly two million children are out of school due to conflict across the country. As we begin to build the pathway to peace, the EU is committed to getting children back into the classroom, where they belong.
‘This funding will strengthen the education system in an integrated manner through the provision of education, health, protection, school feeding, WASH and the reconstruction and rehabilitation of schools. Children’s safe access to quality education is critical to the future of the country’.
For their part, UNICEF said the funds will help with the education component implemented by the organisation, which includes the rehabilitation of schools, reducing rates of school dropout and also scaling up the ‘My Home-Bete’ approach.
The funding, according to the organisation, will also support WFP in providing nutritious school meals to 50,000 children across conflict-affected northern Ethiopia.
Source: WFP
Photo source: David Stanley
