Day: March 18, 2023

Addis Ababa March 18/2023 /ENA/ Al Basar International Foundation launched a volunteer service program to provide free eye check-up and cataract surgery at Alert Hospital.

Some 10, 000 residents are expected to benefit from physical examination of eye treatment and about 400 cases to be operated for cataract starting from March 17, 2023.

Manager of Medical Team of Al Basar International Foundation, Farhruddin Dakhan said the objective of the volunteer to Ethiopia is to provide free eye services to the people suffering of eye blindness.

He added that in the future the organization plans to go out through Ethiopia and look forward to have permanent base in Addis Ababa for sustainable and quality eye care service.

Speaking at the occasion, senior advisor to the Ministry of Health Dr. Daniel Gebremichael on his part said we have been working with Al Basir Foundation for more than two decades and more than half million people benefited because of this foundation.

More than 50 thousand cataract surgeries have been carried out on our patients for free, enabling more than 50 thousand Ethiopians to have recovered from their sight problems..

He explained that this is very important humanitarian activities, in this round, more than 30 thousand patients will be benefited from this mission.

Last week, they were in Jimma and Worabe Hospital where more than 20 thousand patients received medical treatment especially with eye drops., he said.

“In Ethiopia we have around 1.5 million people with low vision; most of them are because of cataract and trachoma. And cataract is actually the leading cause of blindness in Ethiopia and elsewhere in developing countries which can be prevented with simple surgical service,” he said.

According to the advisor, given the number of cataract centers we have and the number of ophthalmology in the country, we have huge backlogs, where we need support from partners like Al Baser and others to support the people in need of recovery from sight problems.

As we have only five tertiary centers for eye surgery, we need support to build hospital in Addis and elsewhere.

Head of the Department of ophthalmology of Alert Hospital, Dr. Solomon Bussa on his part said it is for the third time that this organization is coming and doing cataract surgery and management of ophthalmologic disease.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Addis Ababa March 18/2023 (ENA)The United States and Ethiopia need to have robust bilateral relationships between them, two Americans told ENA.

The American political and economic analyst Lawrence Freeman and fellow American journalist Hammond underscored that Ethiopia is a strategic nation in African continent which the US is seeking to build a robust bilateral relationships with Ethiopia.

They also said the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken’s visit to Ethiopia is a clear indication of an attempt by the Biden administration for a positive relationship with the east African nation.

Recall Secretary Blinken had an official visit in Ethiopia last week and met various officials to consolidate bilateral ties between the two countries.

According to Lawrence Freeman, the visit was a significant move by the United States in resuming relations with Ethiopia.

“It is clear that there is an attempt by the US government to move forward, assuming some kind of positive relationship with Ethiopia. And I think that from what I can tell the Government of Ethiopia sees this visit as positive and significant.”

The United States is of course seeking to influence what’s on the African continent. However, this high level visit by Secretary of State Blinken is more than that, Freeman said.

“I think the United States or some faction of people in the government, (that is) in the Biden Administration, have realized that it’s possible to have a working relationship with Ethiopia. One is because it is the dominant nation in the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia is also the second most populous nation on the continent. It is needed in many ways.”

The analyst also mentioned that the United States of America is the leading humanitarian partner and contributor to Ethiopia during a war also this year.

However, Freeman strongly insists the US Administration extends robust economic development cooperation with Ethiopia in addition to humanitarian support.

“We really want to have a robust relationship between the two nations and we should have that kind of relationship. Then it will launch massive economic infrastructure, development programs between the two countries,” he stressed.

The country was struggling and making some economic progress. But it still had two years of war which was very disruptive, he stated.

“If the United States wants to have security in the Horn of Africa and wants to regain its influence in Africa, the Secretary of State should be outlining a massive economic assistance program more than aid,” the analyst underscored.

Similarly, Fellow with the Center of Media and Peace Initiatives and award-winning American journalist Joseph Hammond said Blinken’s visit is a positive one for Ethiopia and America relationships.

“I think this visit is a victory for those in the Administration who support the strong relationship between the United States and Ethiopia. Within the Biden Administration there are two factions about how to work with Ethiopia, and the trip is a real victory for those of us who support stronger US-Ethiopian relations. I think the outcome here is the beneficiary of both countries.”

As the US government has given special attention to building a better relationship with Africa, Ethiopia is a very strategic nation in the continent, Hammond added.

“You know one of the major priorities of the Biden Administration is to build better relationships with Africa. So Secretary Antony Blinken’s trip to Ethiopia is a demonstration. If you want to prioritize Africa, you have to involve Ethiopia. Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Africa.”

Furthermore, he noted that Ethiopia is also a rapidly developing country and one of the pillars of African civility.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Addis Ababa March 18/2023 /ENA/ The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has reached out to 4 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in east Africa but the gap remains huge, FAO Representative to Eastern Africa and AU Chimimba David Phiri said.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, Phiri said that the Horn of Africa has been affected by five serious droughts over the past few years which is the worst in forty years.

FAO appealed for resources with a view to saving lives as well as saving livelihoods of the affected communities, he stated, and added “we have also requested funding for making sure that there is development and resilience, so that the communities do not fall into a situation where they need assistance at any point in time.”

“So this is a sign that the program is huge because we expect that as many as 26 million people need support but FAO has reached out to 4 million. Of course other agencies have reached out to others but the gap between what we have now and where we need to be is very big,” the East Africa Representative noted.

To date we have spent 120 million USD and reached nearly 4 million people with the support that we provided, Phiri added.

He stressed “we are afraid that if not all support is provided to the people in particular the affected people of Ethiopia, Kenya, parts of Uganda, Djibouti, and Somalia, we could run into a serious famine by the end of this year.”

FAO is providing feed, water and livestock vaccination against pests as well as enhancing capacity of the community to produce their own feed under serious drought conditions, it was indicated.

The crisis in the Horn of Africa is not just drought but also coupled with Russia-Ukraine war, climate, conflicts and the biggest desert locust invasion in history of Africa, he pointed out.

“So the vulnerability is already very bad and when you add the drought, it worsens that situation. So I think the international community needs to really build the resilience of the communities by providing the resources that they need, so that they can stand on their own. FAO does not itself as an organization provide food, we do provide feed to animals, but also provide livelihood’s support to them through animal or crop production and through providing them implements for sustainable agriculture, and also build capacities to make sure that they practice climate smart agriculture,” Phiri elaborated.

He called on partners to scale up their commitment in providing the resources that are required to save lives and livelihoods in eastern Africa as the demand is a lot more than what is on the ground.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Addis Ababa March 18/2023 /ENA/ “Generation Medemer”, a third series of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s book, was launched today.

Abiy has previously published two books titled “Medemer” and “Medemer Journey.”

This latest series, “Generation Medemer”, is published in Amharic, Afan Oromo, and English languages.

Today’s launching ceremony was attended by federal and regional government officials and invited guests During the ceremony, scholars presented their assessments and reviews on the book.

It is to be recalled that the proceedings from the sale of the previous two books were used for construction of schools.

Similarly, the proceedings of the present book will be used to restore historical and tourist attractions in regions, it was learned.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency