US government donates additional food aid

By Groum Abate

The United States Embassy here in Ethiopia has donated 21,660 metric tones of wheat to the Ethiopian Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission (DPPC) at a ceremony held Friday.
Chargé D’Affaires of the United States Embassy Thomas N. Hull revealed that the U.S. Government is contributing the wheat in response to the Ethiopian drought emergency call. Priority is given under the program to countries, such as Ethiopia, that have demonstrated the potential to become commercial markets and are enacting measures to improve their food security and agricultural development and show the greatest need for food.
Mr. Hull remarked that the event expresses the confidence of the U.S. Government that this year’s donation will be the beginning of a trend to support the objectives of commodity import through market mechanisms.
The contribution of 21,660 metric tone is in addition to the United States Government’s contribution to date amounting to 1,058,630 metric tone valued at $475,257,800 given to the Ethiopian Government in response to emergency food needs since July, 2002.