The Ethiopian and ASKY, the Lome-Togo based airline,  signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on July 24, 2008 at the Ethiopian Airline Head Office in Addis Abeba. The MoU embraces the establishment of a strategic partnership between the two sisterly airlines in marketing operations, maintenance, training, financing and management contracts, disclosed the press release issued by Ethiopian Airlines. Girma Wake, chief executive officer of Ethiopian, and ASKY’s Board Chairman, Mr. Geravis Koffic Djorido, signed the MoU in the presence of Christian E.Follykossi, secretary general of African Airlines Association, and other executives of the two Airlines. Girma revealed on the occasion that Ethiopia has been engaged in the process of finding out a hub in West Africa to deliver its improved services, and to connect the region to the world at large. After inaugurating its operations, Ethiopian Airlines now has a four-time weekly flight .

Fishery Reels in Over Half a Million Dollars

Investors licensed with a nearly 107 million Br outlay have been engaged in fishery in Amhara State, the state Agricultural and Rural Development Bureau disclosed. Alemu Admas, Bureau of Agriculture and Extension Work Process owner stated that the eight lakes, including Tana, 18 rivers, six dams and 110 man-made ponds have the capacity of producing over 288,000 quintals of fish annually. Combined, the four entrepreneurs have produced about 37,826 quintals of fish this budget year, he added. The investors, who purchased a government-owned fishery enterprise, have earned 575,770 dollars  in the last eight months alone from exporting 2,958 quintals of fish to Sudan. Upon going fully operational, the processing and manufacturing factories could effectively and properly utilize the abundant resource.

World Food Programme Food Assistance

The World Food Programme (WFP) has expanded its operation to reach 4.6 million Ethiopians affected by the drought. Though WFP is currently providing 2.3 million people with emergency food assistance, it will scale up its assistance in the next three months, to curtail hunger-related diseases, in response to the government’s urgent appeal for food and nutrition assistance. Furthermore, the WFP has planned to provide food aid to 2.4 million people in drought-prone areas under the development-oriented productive society Net Programme. The World’s largest humanitarian agency (WFP) disclosed that it has a shortfall of 369,000 metric tonnes of food worth 300 million dollars from July through December, and also needs to repay in internal advances. WFP will also support the government by providing emergency nutritional assistance to some 750,000 of the severely malnourished children, pregnant mothers and HIV-AIDS Victims.                                  

Road Construction Projects Worth 1.45 billion Br for Addis

The Addis Abeba Road Authority signed contracts with different companies for six road constructions and five road and design projects at a cost of 1.45 billion Br. Of the earmarked total, 1.44 billion Br is set aside for the road construction. Engineer Fekadu Haile, Authority General Manager, signed the contractual agreement with representatives of the respective companies. In relation to the road constructions, Getachew H. Marian, Addis Abeba Administration cabinet member said on the occasion that the road construction projects would enhance the city development endeavours. Besides, he insisted that the contractors work closely with the Ethiopia Electric Power Corporation, the Water and Sewerage Authority and the Telecommunication’s Corporation to avoid resource wastage.

Irrigation Farming Fetches Over Half Billion Birr

Farmers in Eastern Wollela have accrued more than half a billion Birr income executing irrigation development activities, Zonal Agricultural Development Bureau revealed. Daba Biru, Irrigation development expert with the bureau stated that some 102,000 farmers collected the stated sum from the sale of vegetables, maize and other agricultural yields grown on 22, 500hct of land.

Farmers Get Family-Centred Intergated Packages

Over 96,000 farmers have taken part in integrated extension package in Tigray state this fiscal year, the state Agriculture and Rural Development Bureau disclosed. Abera Gebreamlak, Extension Department Bureau head, revealed that 106,000 farmers were targeted to secure benefits from family-centered integrated packages to improve their livelihood, ensuring food security in the state. He further pointed out that the farmers were offered training in crop production, animal rearing and natural resources utilization in 600 farmer training institutions in all the rural kebeles. Over 4,600 agricultural workers at state and woreda levels were also given training in capacity building so as to boost the productivity of the state, and the workers were urged to provide farmers with technical support to consolidate ongoing endeavours and to improvetheir livelihood, Abera added.

The Netherlands Donates 5m Euros for Drought Relief

Victims affected by food scarcity due to the failure of the Belg rains will benefit from five million Euros in humanitarian assistance rendered by the Netherlands. A statement released by the Netherlands Embassy quoted Mr. Bert Koenders, the Netherlands’ Minister for Development Cooperation, as saying that urgent action is a must to help those seriously affected by the drought. The statement further revealed that from the total contribution, two million Euros would go to the UN’s Children’s Fund to help the 75,000 severely malnourished Ethiopian children. The donation granted is in addition to the three and a half million Euros contributed to address the existing problem  in May 2008. According to the UN estimate, 200 million Euros is required to reach the 4.5 million Ethiopians that depend on emergency food assistance.