Cordaid Ethiopia Country Office handed over support worth ETB 67,000,000 (1.52 million €) to the COVID-19 response in Ethiopia. 84% of this support has been (re)allocated from ongoing health programs and aid interventions funded by the Royal Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ethiopia and the Dutch Relief Alliance (DRA). The balance support is being provided through support from the European Union and Cordaid’s own funds.
On Friday October 17th, the official handover ceremony event highlighting this support took place at the Skylight hotel in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The event was hosted and officiated by Roselyn Akinyi Walender, the Cordaid Country Director in Ethiopia. The event was attended by the Dutch Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union, IGAD, UNECA Mr. Henk Jan Bakker; the State Minister of the Federal Ministry of Health his Excellency Dr. Dereje Duguma; 1st Secretary of the Dutch Embassy Ethiopia Dr. Marco Gerritsen; Regional Health Bureau representatives from the Amhara, Oromia and Somali Regions; Head of Ethiopian Airlines Cargo Mr. Fitsum Abadi; as well as members of the media and other key stakeholders.
During the event, COVID-19 prevention and preparedness items including gloves, facemasks, goggles, and various sanitization materials were handed over. The handover also included essential pharmaceuticals such as pain medications and antibiotics.
“It is through solidarity in times of crisis that the true meaning of humanity is felt. COVID-19 will be combated as we continue to support all preventive measures in the communities that we are a part of, everywhere we are at this time,” said Cordaid Country Director in Ethiopia Roselyn Akinyi Walender.
Cordaid collaborated with Ethiopian regional government counterparts to identify COVID related gaps in their regions and ensured that the support addresses those gaps. The support, which will be provided in batches, includes both internationally and locally procured items that meet COVID-19 standards set by the Ethiopian Standards Agency (ESA) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
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Source: Website of Cordaid
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Photo: Roselyn Akiny Walender, Cordaid Director in Ethiopia, during the handover ceremony.