Capital

Modern link over ancient river

By Tedla Yeneakal

A new 9 meter wide, 303 meters long cable-stayed bridge spanning the river Abay, constructed by Japanese firm, Kajima Corporation at a cost of 14 million dollars, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi on
the eve of Ethiopian new year, on Wednesday, September 10, 2008. The first of its kind in the country, when it is open for traffic in october, the bridge will reduce the time it takes to drive from Addis Ababa to Dejen, from 10 hour to 4 hours. The bridge has a life-span of 50 years without maintenance and 100 years with minor maintenance. Our reporter, Tedla Yeneakal was amongst a group of journalists, present for its dedication...

United Bank launches internet banking

By Kirubel Tadesse

Oromia Bank close to certification

By MulukenYewondwossen

Water authority to build branch offices

By MulukenYewondwossen

Teza, to premier in Addis

By Abiy Demilew

ZTE, Janora to build mobile phone assembly

By Tagu Zergaw

ETC raising network capacity, blocks VOIP

By MulukenYewondwossen

EEPCo to install prepaid meters

By Groum Abate

MORE`

North Holdings’ coal fired cement factory in final stage

By Kirubel Tadesse

CURE opens pediatric, training hospital

By Addis Mulugeta

Sheba, scaling R&B on international stage

By Abiy Demilew

16,000 children suffering acute malnutrition: British Red Cross

By Tedla Yeneakal

Modern link over ancient river

By Tedla Yeneakal

In the early days, people used to pay 14 birr to individuals who helped them get across the Abay River, according to elders who have witnessed two realities, being present at the inauguration ceremony of the bridge in the eve of the new Ethiopian year, on Wednesday, September 10, 2008.
Modern technology and hard work has now enabled relatives to meet one another across the new Cable Stayed Bridge, the first of its kind for Ethiopia.
Residents of Dejen, a town 30 kms from the Hedassie Bridge and those living nearby hosted a ceremony marking the official inauguration of he bridge, attended by high government officials and invited guests, led by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. “The time it takes to drive from Addis Ababa to Dejen (230 kms), which used to be 10 hours is now reduced to 4 hours because of the new bridge,” Meles said. “It is historic for Ethiopia and a true reflection of the country’s civilization to inaugurate the bridge on the eve of starting our second millennium, that’s why we are calling the new bridge ‘HIDASE’ (Renaissance).”
The 303-meter bridge was constructed by Japanese firm, Kajima Corporation at a cost of 14 million dollars, fully covered by the government of Japan.
Ziad Wolde Gabriel, General Manager, Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA), stated the bridge will ease the transport bottleneck, linking potential agricultural areas in the north with neighboring Sudan. “It is a harbinger for the development of the area through the use of Abay river water,” Ziad said.
‘The Extra Dosed Type Bridge’ as it is technically called is expected to serve for 50 years without any maintenance and 100 years with small maintenance, according to a Civil Engineer.
The old bridge, built during the Haile Selassie regime as war compensation from the Italian government, served for a period of more than 60 years and is still in use. It has a length of 263 meters.
The new bridge, located 205 kms from the capital is 1,071 meters above sea level. Other Japanese firms, The Consortium of Oriental Consultants and Japan Engineering Consultants, jointly carried out the consultancy work.
To administer the bridges under operation in the country, and obtain information such as type, length, history and status of the bridge, as well as clear indication of damages sustained, a new software program - Bridge Management System (BMS) – was launched with financial assistance from the Japanese government, in February 2008.
According to the survey conducted for the software program data gathering, there are 4,000 bridges in the country, with a width of more than 4 meters.

Minister of Works and Urban Development, Dr. Kassu Ilala, at the inaugural speech said that the bridge expresses thoughtful friendship of Ethiopia and Japan.
“We have dedicated the bridge to the third Ethiopian Millennium and the peoples of both countries jointly appreciate it as a monument to a long-standing friendship,” Kasu said.
At the closing ceremony, Meles handed over special gifts to Ambassador Komano, Japanese Ambassador to Ethiopia, Japan International Cooperation Agency’s (JICA) head, and others, who were involved in the construction of the bridge, as a token of appreciation.
Facts and historical background of cable-stayed bridges
According to information obtained from the Wikepedia, a cable-stayed bridge is a bridge that consists of one or more columns (normally referred to as towers or pylons), with cables supporting the bridge deck.
There are two major classes of cable-stayed bridges: In a harp design, the cables are made nearly parallel by attaching cables to various points on the tower(s) so that the height of attachment of each cable on the tower is similar to the distance from the tower along the roadway to its lower attachment. In a fan design, the cables all connect to or pass over the top of the tower(s).
The cable-stay design is the optimum bridge for a span length between that of cantilever bridges and suspension bridges. Within this range of span lengths a suspension bridge would require a great deal more cable, while a full cantilever bridge would require considerably more material and be substantially heavier. Of course, such assertions are not absolute for all cases.
Cable-stayed bridges can be dated back to the 1784 design of a timber bridge by German carpenter C.T. Loescher. Many early suspension bridges were of hybrid suspension and cable-stayed construction, including the 1817 footbridge at Dryburgh Abbey, and the later Albert Bridge (1872) and Brooklyn Bridge (1883). Their designers found that the combination of technologies created a stiffer bridge, and John A. Roebling took particular advantage of this to limit deformations due to railway loads in the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge.

United Bank launches internet banking

By Kirubel Tadesse

United Bank, one of the local share companies operating in the banking sector, has announced that it has launched Internet banking service - the first one in the nation’s banking history. Through this service, the bank’s customers can follow the status of their loans and valid letters of credit.
Internet banking also gives customers a chance to learn information like foreign exchange rates and personal account summary, which customers can also print or copy for any desired usage.
According to an expert in information technology Capital talked to, the introduction of this service will not only encourage other banks to follow suit but also will speed up the realization of a credit card system. “Standard Internet banking service - provided by most financial institution across the globe - allows customers to perform transactions online and over the telephone. I don’t think we have reached there yet, since the bank’s announcement only explained what can be regarded as ready only services, like reading your account summary or loan status. But the fact that you can access sensitive data like accounts summary shows you the level of sophistication this bank implemented on its system’s security. We can imagine what could result if crackers break into the system and get a chance to alter information,” the expert explained. According to this expert, United can avoid such threats by implementing state of the art security system or since transactions are not yet operational in the launched service, it can put an independent system where customers only can access information.
Even if online banking is a new concept for Ethiopia, its history dates back to the early ’80s. Online banking, a.k.a home banking, was first offered by a bank in New York, United States, in 1981. Due to its nature the service faces serious threats which mostly happen by stealing users’ login and password. The PIN/TAN system where the PIN represents a password, used for the login and TANs representing one-time passwords to authenticate transactions are among leading security systems designed to avoid thefts. TANs can be distributed in different ways; the most popular one is to send a list of TANs to the online banking user by postal letter.

Oromia Bank close to certification

By MulukenYewondwossen

Oromia International Bank (OIB), the country’s youngest private bank is a few steps away from finalizing the process with the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) to open the first branches of the Bank, Messele Seyoum, business development and planning department manager of OIB disclosed to Capital.
OIB was officially established six months ago.
The bank subscribed a capital of 271.5 million birr and out of this amount shareholders have already paid up 97.8 million birr.
According to Messele, who served the bank as project head when it was under establishment, OIB plans to open five branches within a few weeks in Addis Ababa and 12 branches outside the capital within the coming year. OIB has finalized recruiting staff and the necessary preparation.
“One of these branches will be on the six-storey Samuel Deresa building around Piazza - the same building where the Bank’s HQ is located,” Messele said.
Before the new location OIB was operating from Dembel City Centre, a mall owned by one of the main promoters of the Bank, Yemiru Nega.
“We have been waiting for four months to get a license from NBE so that we can open our branches, now we are a few steps away for the governor’s license acknowledgment signature. And when the bank is operational, it will give a one window stop service,” added Messele.
Currently the shareholders of OIB have reached 5,233, which is the largest number of shareholders among private banks in the country.
Ali Hussen (Alfoze) is leading the main share amount and Yemiru Nega (YENCOMAD), Duguma Hunde (DH Geda), Bedada Challa (Dire Electronics), Getu Gelete (Getas plc), Mekia Mamio, Kebir Hussen (Arise Agriculture Mechanization) Sabir Argeno (Alsam Plc), Alemayehu Ketema, Kenenisa Bekele, Sileshe Sihin and Derartu Tulu are other major shareholders of the Bank.
NBE has approved the 12 board members of the bank six months ago. These are Abera Tola Geda (Oxfam USA country director) as OIB’s board chairman; Bulbula Tule (board chair of Hawas Agri Business) as Vice Chair, and Dr. Likisa Dinsa (Dandi Boro University College), Prof Endashaw Bekele (Addis Ababa University), Dr Brihanu Adinew (senior researcher in Ethiopian Economic Association), Raya Abagodu (former head of Oromia Investment Commission), Ali Hussen (Alfoze), Abera Bekele (Horeta Engineering), Dr Girma Mente, Asefa Kumssa, Bifa Bedada, and Almaw Gari as board members of the bank.
Cooperative Bank of Oromia, Zemen Bank and OIB are the three newly established banks based on the new law of NBE that requires a minimum capital of 75 million birr. Earlier it had been only 25 million birr.

Water authority to build branch offices

By MulukenYewondwossen

The Project Division of the Addis Ababa City Water Sewerage Authority (AAWSA) is undergoing a bid process to build two area branch offices around Bole, sources disclosed.
According to sources from the Division, the seven and five storey buildings are designed by the state owned Ethiopian Building Design Enterprise (EBDE). The seven storey building would be the eastern branch of the Authority and the other one is for the northern. The bid will be closed on September 22, 2008 and construction work is scheduled to commence during this budget year.
According to the bid document the Authority has invited both building and general grade one contractors for both projects. GeoTec, Emnet Endashaw, Teklebrihan Ambaye, Nassew and Finifine construction are some of the companies that showed interest to be contracted for the project.
On this fiscal year 1.12 billion birr was allocated for AAWSA from the new city cabinet, for various projects. Out of this amount 918.3 million birr is capital budget and 198.9 million birr is for administrative costs.
According to sources within AAWSA, the Authority has given more focus on water well drilling projects in order to minimize water shortages of the city and these will be connected to the city’s main water supply system. The World Bank has also secured a fund for ten deep wells and 25 medium wells which will meet the demand of more than 900,000 people in the city.
According to a study document issued in March 2008, the Authority has increased the supply of water from 235 thousand to 256,000 m3 per day, from September 2007 to February 2008, but demand is increasing at a higher rate.

Teza, to premier in Addis

By Abiy Demilew

The six time award winner, only in its first premier in two weeks time, the prominent African-American independent filmmaker, Professor Haile Gerima’s latest film, Teza, will premier here in Addis, on January 2, 2009.
Selome Gerima, Haile’s sister and CEO of Myphedu Films, revealed to Capital that in Haile’s own recommendation and interest, the award winning Teza, will be unveiled afresh in Addis. She is facilitating the overall process.
“We all are proud to hear that Teza has shot higher on the Venice Festival beating other films that were lined-up,” Selome said. “The production of this film has taken Haile more than three years, in which he himself was engaged in editing the movie.”
Shooting in Ethiopia and Köln (Germany), the prominent writer, producer and director, Haile Gerima, goes back and explores the recent past of his home country. Anberber, the main character, symbolizes a person who has studied in Germany and returns post-graduate to Ethiopia. He is full of hope that he can support his country with his newly acquired knowledge. It’s a story about hope and disillusionment, about foreignness and homeland.
According to Selome, winning an award is not new for the giant. “As a very focused, committed, and principled African, Haile has made numbers of films and documentaries, in which he was honored and celebrated all over the world,” she said. Teza, among many others, won Best Script, Special Jury Prize, Best Screenplay Award, Signis Award (special mention), CinemAvvenire Award, Cinema for peace and the richness of diversity Award and Unicef Award. “We are very proud and congratulate Haile, all the actors and crew,” said the organizers of the Venice Festival, last week.
Selome has already approached the concerned office in Addis Ababa, to facilitate the realization of the premier of Teza in Addis.
Before we went to the print, Selome updated Capital with the development of the negotiations. “We have decided to premier on the 2nd of January 2009 at the Ethiopian National Theatre.”
Selome revealed that, the struggle of filmmaking in Africa is very much challenged including by financial obstacles. “But Haile is the kind of person who won’t give-up. And after the line of challenges, it’s very motivating to win all these prizes, for him, his family and the nation,” Selome said.
Capital will feature an exclusive interview with Haile Gerima, next week.

ZTE, Janora to build mobile phone assembly

By Tagu Zergaw

The Chinese telecom provider, Zhong Xing Telecommunication Equipment (ZTE) has signed an agreement worth 5.2 million dollars on September 4, 2008 with the Organization for Rehabilitation and Development of Amhara (TIRET) for the supply of necessary machineries for a mobile phone assembly plant to be built in Bahir Dar, capital city of the Amhara Region.
The plant will have the capacity to assemble 3,000 to 4,500 mobile phones per day.
According to the agreement TIRET, along with local technology company, Janora, will build the assembly plant within 14 months while ZTE supplies the necessary machineries and inputs.
Bekele Gebre Medihn, one of the founders of Janora Technology, told Capital that his company will handle management operations with Tana Communications Plc.
The Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (ETC) recently released 1.2 million SIM cards after completing network upgrading and expansion. This was followed by huge demand for mobile phone handsets which resulted in shortages and price increments.
ZTE is currently deploying a 2.4 million line capacity CDMA network in the country.
Janora Technology was established in 2007 with an initial capital of 20 million birr, by five Ethiopians. Janora has received 3000 sqm of land in Bahir Dar to manufacture ICT equipment for both domestic and international markets.

ETC raising network capacity, blocks VOIP

By MulukenYewondwossen

The Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (ETC) has announced that mobile phone subscribers’ number will reach eight million by December 2008 including the two million SIM cards that were released in last August. Up until March 2008 there were only two million subscribers in the country.
The new system identification module (SIM) cards are to provide pre-paid services only.
According to details of the project ETC awarded the project to the Chinese telecom company Zhong Xing Telecommunication Equipment (ZTE). When completed in two years time, the number of mobile phone subscribers in the country will reach 15 million. The 1.5 billion dollar project is scheduled to be finalized in two years and includes executing various network activities in rural areas of the country.
Moreover, ETC has launched the first phase of fixed, wireless and mobile CDMA2000 network which is also installed by ZTE.
The first phase of the wireless telephone network expansion project with a capacity for 652,000 lines is completed. Most of the finance for this project is secured from the Chinese Development Bank.
It is recalled that, Junedi Sado, Minister of Transport and Communications, told journalists at a press briefing held on September 1, 2008 that the Corporation managed to block the Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP), a method that is employed to make illegal overseas calls cheaply.
“This is [done] to control illegal telephone service providers, but in the future the government plans to facilitate for these providers to become legal,” said Junedi.

EEPCo to install prepaid meters

By Groum Abate

The Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo) is scheduled to fully replace existing postpaid electricity meters with prepaid electricity meters starting from November 2008, across the country.
EEPCo, which has over 1.5 million customers has struck a deal with an Egyptian company to replace the existing postpaid meters with pre-paid ones in Addis Ababa and major towns across the country, with an outlay of 88.2 million birr in February, 2008.
EEPCo’s project that evaluates the viability of replacing the post-paid meters with pre-paid ones has been completed and the corporation has already awarded the contract, signing a deal with El Sewedy, an Egyptian electronic meters manufacturer. The Egyptian company has won over two other competitors from China and South Africa for the supply of the equipment.
In the first phase of the project it is planned to replace about 120,000 postpaid electricity meters in Addis Ababa.
Founded in Egypt more than 60 years ago, El Sewedy Group has also plans to open a manufacturing plant in the electricity field here in Ethiopia to manufacture electricity meters and other electric products. The Egyptian company will supply EEPCo with a new generation of electronic meters with the latest technologies of prepaid meters.
The corporation launched a pilot project to test the meters, a while ago, by installing a couple around Gerji area. The pilot project has proven successful and it has already started to give out pre-paid meters to its new customers.
Installation of the pre-paid meters would mean that consumers use the precise amount of electricity they have already paid for.
Prepaid metering in its simplest form refers to paying for electricity before it is used. The consumer purchases credit and then uses the resource until the credit expires.
Studies show that there are a number of reasons why a utility could consider installing a prepaid metering system. They include improved cash flow, no need for account posting or additional billing systems (1-2% savings), elimination of bad debts (5-12% average, with up to 40% in some developing countries), elimination of disconnection and reconnection fees, ease of installation, no need to access consumers’ property (particularly for split meter installations) and elimination of inaccurate meter readings.
There are also advantages to the customer, including budget management, control of energy usage, no cost for disconnection/reconnection and no waiting for reconnection, no deposits. A prepaid metering system replaces the billing system, the reading of meters and the administration of revenue collection. Implementing such a system means a change of mindset, a change in the way the revenue collection is managed, a change in IT procedures, a change in customer service, a change in metering and a change in consumer behavior.
The corporation gives out 440KW of power to each of its over 10,000 employees per month for free. 440KW is estimated to be about 250 birr.

North Holdings’ coal fired cement factory in final stage

By Kirubel Tadesse

North Holdings Plc, coal fired cement factory under construction, has completed its feasibility studies that show accumulation of a wide range of raw materials needed for cement productions in Dejen, Amhara Region.
A group of thirty five professionals led by Engineer Atnafseged Adamu, Industrial Development and Management Consultant, has confirmed that in the selected area, there is a huge accumulation of limestone, gypsum, and clay.
“The other essential component is water and we found underground water eighteen kilometers away from the company,” Atnafseged explained.
Accordingly, the company’s project management wing has short listed five international manufacturers with which it expects to enter an agreement by November this year.
Dejenu Tekelemariam, project management director of the company explained that five companies were selected from ten candidates. The five are said to represent European and American technologies. “We only expect twenty five months to complete construction of the factory after the procurement agreement is signed in November,” Dejenu told Capital. The investment doesn’t only create job opportunities for over 2,300 people but also could transform the lives of people living close to the company.
Dejen - one of the eighteen woredas of the Amhara regional state, eastern Gojam administration- is 230 kilometers from Addis Ababa. It is only 22 kilometer from the newly inaugurated Abay Hidassie (Renaissance) bridge.
Kassa Tekleberhan, Head of Trade and Industry Office in Amhara region, hopes to see the urbanization of the woreda which should come with the settling of employees of the company to which Temesgen Mahari Bitew, President of North Holdings plc, promised to consider the local talent first. Temesgen, who is also among the seven owners that contributed the 200 million USD investment [the balance is secured from foreign banks] wants to see his company’s potentially large contribution be considered by the rail way network that should connect the nation in the coming years. The company can use transportation services of such kind, Kassa agrees. The train line will not only ease delivery to the local market whose share is 40% from the 26,000 tons of cement the company plans to produce but also to the neighboring countries - potential targets of the sixty percent of production.
Temesgen sees his company not only generating foreign currency but also saving on furnace oil, which would be imported, to be replaced by coal extracted in Chelega area of the region.
A senior official from the Ethiopian Ministry of Trade and Industry commented to Capital in anonymity, that the realization of the factory would hugely ease local cement demand. “For now we do not have a precise time line for the production to enter the market, but as per the progress report we reviewed this significant investment could result in a major economic impact,” the official said,” we are working to reach a capacity of 10 million tons in three years and if the company starts production in that year, altogether, the capacity would be more than 10.7 million tons, which would be a great chievement.”

CURE opens pediatric, training hospital

By Addis Mulugeta

An international hospital, CURE, has finalized construction of a hospital for disabled children and a training center for surgeons from Ethiopia and other nations of Africa.
CURE’s East African pediatric reconstructive and orthopedic surgical care has 60 beds and provides pediatric orthopedic trainings.
CURE International invested more than 23 million birr to construct the hospital.
President Girma Wolde Giorgis attended the Hospital’s inauguration held on September 9, 2008 together with other officials. On the occasion, it was indicated that the primary medical focus of CURE Ethiopia Disable Children’s hospital is to treat children born with disabilities and deformities through plastic and reconstructive surgeries.
According to President Girma, such a hospital will significantly improve the livelihood of many children who do not have access to this vital care.
“The construction of the first disabled children’s hospital of its kind in Ethiopia has many merits that will reduce the impact of disability, and address children’s needs for prevention, treatment and care; which is vital for curbing disability at their early and tender ages, and will reverse the underling socio-economic factors contributing to them,” said the President.
CURE International has presence in the U.S., U.K., U.A.E., Afghanistan and in nine African countries for the last ten years.
CURE is a non profit making hospital, according to its founder and CEO Dr. Scott Harrison. The hospital provides service for those who can afford to pay for the treatment at a reasonable price and free for those who can’t afford it. CURE’s expense will be covered by funds from donors and organizations.
“There are a series of reasons for CURE International’s engagement in Ethiopia. More than 150 countries in the world need such services and this country is one of them; and we found Ethiopia to be suitable for establishing the training center,” added Dr. Scott.
Adey Abate, executive director of Cure Ethiopia said that during the first year of its establishment the hospital will serve physically disabled children and in this time more than 4,000 surgeries are expected to be performed and 7,000 outpatients.
To further outreach the disabled children, CURE has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Health to identify these children and co-work with extension workers, community and religious leaders who bring disabled children to the hospital.

Sheba, scaling R&B on international stage

By Abiy Demilew

Sheba, a young and contemporary musician, is scaling an Ethiopian presence on the international music scene, in R&B, making her debut in her demo album, which will be released soon.
In a Capital exclusive, Sheba said, she is now releasing her first debut album, which has already started picking on the international music scene and the international media.
“It has always been a dream to make music of significance, which introduces Ethiopia on the international music scene,” Sheba told Capital. “In every walk of our life, we have to bring and give-out positive images of our country including music,” she said.
“As early as the age of four, I knew I loved to sing, but more importantly I knew I wanted to write songs.” And eventually, with no formal training Sheba was regularly writing full songs and singing across four octaves.
Accordingly, after a random meeting in Brooklyn, Sheba forged a musical partnership with Tommy “Madfly” Faragher, an accomplished songwriter, GRAMMY nominated producer and one time recipient of the celebrated ASCAP POP AWARD.
“Sheba and Madfly, are currently writing and recording Sheba’s debut album: The Lion of Sheba, which will be released four parts in late 2008, and early 2009,” says Myspace, which wrote about the artist.
Sheba sings every note on her album, she writes every song lyric, rhyme, co-composes, co-arranges and co-produces every track and pioneers a fresh sonic fusion of Reggae/Dancehall/Afro-Pop/Urban music, according to her. “Keep your ears open for the upcoming single to be released to European radio this summer/fall; Love This Lifetime…” said Myspace.
Evoking the glory and memory of the legendary line of Ethiopian Monarchs is the inspiration of Sheba: a singer, songwriter, arranger, and producer, hailing from the majestic land of Ethiopia, reared between New York City, Europe, the Caribbean and Africa. Sheba was named after the Queen of Sheba, the famed empress of Ethiopia.
Sheba told Capital that, the singles in the demo album have already gained a substantial momentum on the international music mainstream and the international media. “But I still want to keep my feet home to move and grow on the international music scene,” she said. “For me home is very important. This should be my spring point towards scaling-up Ethiopian image to the rest of the world.”
Working on her own label and producing her own album, Sheba is bringing an additional spice to the contemporary Ethiopian music, according to a musician who was surprised to hear the demo.

16,000 children suffering acute malnutrition: British Red Cross

By Tedla Yeneakal

In Damot Pulasa and Damot Gale, Wolayita Zone, Southern part of Ethiopia, over 16,000 children are suffering acute malnutrition and emergency food distributions should continue until the next main harvest in January, British Red Cross appealed in its latest report.
“Vulnerable households have been forced to sell their livestock and agricultural tools at throw-away prices in order to buy food,” the report stated. “The worst-affected areas in southern Ethiopia are very poor and many people struggle to get enough food even in a better year. When harvests fail, as they have this year, they have few resources to fall back on.”
The government estimates that 4.7 million people are affected in the country.
Further, the report states that continued action is needed to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe, as food prices have gone up affecting people both in rural and urban areas, disabling those who need to buy more food as a result of losing their crops.
The Ethiopian Red Cross, supported by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, is running an operation to meet the needs of 76,000 people in southern Ethiopia. The British Red Cross has contributed £293,000 to this relief operation, but much more funding is needed in order to provide sufficient emergency food and relief distributions.
Access to clean water will also have a major impact on the health of people affected by the drought; according to the report The Red Cross is increasing household access to safe drinking water by rehabilitating 22 of the non-functioning wells in Damot Pulasa and through rehabilitating boreholes in Damot Gale.
“Providing emergency food assistance will save lives in the coming months, but it is not a long-term solution. The population in the Wolayita Zone traditionally engages in agriculture and livestock tending, but there is not enough pasture available for the number of households. Along with drought, this is a major factor in ongoing food insecurity,” read the report. “Although there have been recent rains, they came too late for the last harvest. It is now time to start planting again but many households have sold their tools and also lack seeds, as they have had to eat them.”