Addis Ababa, November 3/2023 (ENA)-The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has officially announced the re-designation of Ethiopia as high priority country under the US government’s Global Water Strategy.
Launching a five-year Urban WASH and Climate Resilient 90-million USD projects, U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Ervin Massinga said the USAID has provided 800,000 Ethiopians with basic sanitation services.
“...I am delighted today to announce the USAID has re-designated Ethiopia as the high priority country under the US government’s Global Water Strategy,” he said.
USAID has launched 45-million USD Urban WASH project which provides hundreds of thousands of people with safe water and sanitation and hygiene services across ten cities in five years.
The Climate Resilient WASH project is similarly a five-year 45-million USD project that focuses on lowlands in the regions of Afar, Oromia, Somali, South, and Central Ethiopia regional states, the ambassador added.
Water and Energy State Minister Asfaw Dingamo said the country’s water resource has to be developed and managed in an integrated manner.
As per the country’s climate resilient green economy strategy, Ethiopia has prepared different energy initiatives to tackle the challenges which will be an important component for our water supply facilities and showcase implementable and replicable to other African countries.
According to the state minister, his ministry is committed to supporting and working closely with Urban WASH and Climate Resilient WASH implementers in every way possible.
With the programs announced today, USAID expects to reach more than 900,000 Ethiopians by 2028 with access to safe water and an additional 800,000 people with access to basic sanitation across Ethiopia.
The project will also spur tens of thousands of jobs for Ethiopians building water, hygiene, and sanitation infrastructure.
Source: Ethiopian News Agency