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| >> AFR Regional Overview >> Ethiopia Overview | |||||||||
IntroductionThe Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, famine, war, pestilence, and death, are not religious abstractions in Ethiopia. They are frequent, if unwelcome, visitors. During the past 38 years, Ethiopia has endured three wars (including a 17 year civil war) and three major famines or food emergencies. Yet, there is hope in meeting the humanitarian and development challenges. After over two years of conflict, Ethiopia is at peace with Eritrea, the risk of famine for over 10 million people was averted last year and USAID programs are moving from relief to development. Ethiopia plays a pivotal role in the U.S. Government's foreign policy objective of promoting regional stability in the Greater Horn of Africa. Other U.S. foreign policy objectives in Ethiopia encourage stable democratic governance, respect for human rights, and market-oriented economic growth (especially through the African Growth and Opportunity Act). USAID's program in Ethiopia supports the Agency's priority areas of: Economic Growth and Agriculture, Global Health, and Conflict Prevention and Developmental Relief. The Development ChallengeEthiopia is an immense country with a population estimated at over 64 million-the second most populous nation in Africa. It is also one of the world's poorest nations, with an annual per capita income of $100. The humanitarian and development challenges are daunting. An estimated 22 million people, or 40 percent of rural families, are food insecure. Since 1980, the population growth has exceeded growth in agricultural production undermining economic progress. Poor agricultural practices and deforestation continue to degrade the land at alarming rates. Agricultural production today is less than it was 25 years ago. The HIV-positive population is growing at an alarming rate with almost 3 million people currently positive. The estimated number of deaths from AIDS will double by 2014. Child malnutrition and stunting rates (51.2% of the children under 5) are among the world's highest. Infant mortality is high, 113 out of 100,000 births. Low enrollments, high repetition and dropout rates, untrained teachers and a rapidly growing population are major educational challenges in Ethiopia. At the primary level, there are nearly 6.5 million students (40.7% girls) and only 116,000 teachers (29.4% women). In FY 2000, the U.S. Government provided over $300 million in food assistance (emergency and non-emergency) helping over 10 million Ethiopians facing starvation (including approximately $140 million in P.L. 480 Title II emergency and non-emergency food aid directly managed by USAID). Unless the competing challenges of high population-growth rates and low agricultural production rates are effectively addressed, over 28 million people will be food insecure by 2006. USAID has been a major donor in Ethiopia since 1994, and USAID-funded programs are beginning to demonstrate success. Agricultural cooperative activities have facilitated the restructuring of 112 farmer cooperatives into business-oriented enterprises with democratically elected Boards of Directors. Additionally, eight cooperative unions (whose members are farmer cooperatives) were established to economize the purchase of inputs (primarily fertilizer) and crop marketing. Farmers' cooperatives supplied 67,766 metric tons (MT) of improved seed and fertilizer to their members, marketed 27,360 MT of crops, and paid over $1 million in dividends to their members. Health sector assistance is improving public health delivery by supporting a preventive, primary health care approach. Two National Immunization Days protected over 11 million children against polio and, to a lesser degree, measles. The use of modern contraceptive methods has increased from 2% (1995) to over 13% nationally. The social marketing program sold over 49 million condoms in 2000 (a 150% increase since 1995). To avert the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and other infectious diseases, USAID is funding faith-based organizations to distribute HIV/AIDS information, thereby reaching an estimated ten million Ethiopians. In addition, the undertaking of advocacy activities resulted in an increased awareness and commitment by high-level policy makers, including the President of Ethiopia. Access to and quality of basic education, especially for girls, is improving. Nationally, the gross enrollment rate has grown from 24% in 1995 to 51% in the 1999/2000 school year with girls' enrollment growing from 20% to 40.7%. In USAID focus regions, the average gross-enrollment rate was 62%, which is among the highest in Ethiopia. During 2000 Ethiopia conducted its second national elections under its 1995 constitution. The opposition parties saw these as better conducted than the first national elections, a perception that has encouraged their participation in local and national government. Voter education, broadly defined, was among the successes of the May 2000 election effort. USAID has also supported more effective use of public finances, aided the Government's regionalization policy through assistance to the Government's civil service reform program, strengthened the independent judiciary, and increased civil society participation. Other DonorsEthiopia receives development and humanitarian assistance from bilateral and multilateral aid sources. With the return to peace, previously reduced funding levels are slowly returning to pre-conflict levels. The United States ranks first among bilateral donors, followed by Germany, Japan, Ireland, the Netherlands and Italy. Major multilateral donors include the World Bank, the European Union, and the United Nations. Donor coordination is good, especially in sector development programs in education and health as well as HIV/AIDS, population and food assistance. USAID will continue close coordination with all partners to gain maximum leverage and effectiveness. FY 2002 ProgramUSAID requests $40.408 million in assistance, consisting of $27.858 million in Child Survival and Disease (CSD) funds and $12.550 million in Development Assistance (DA) funds. This funding will support agricultural development, population and health, basic education, democracy and governance, and mitigating the effects and responding to disasters. In agricultural development, DA funds will improve agricultural practices and increase rural household income opportunities (particularly for women) in 47 chronically food insecure districts. Agricultural research and extension activities will promote environmentally sustainable agricultural practices. Activities to increase rural household access to financial services (savings and credit) will support increased agricultural production and micro-enterprise development. CSD and DA funds will improve family health in Ethiopia through interventions in child survival, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, and health-sector capacity building. To address the high levels of infant and under-five mortality and morbidity, funding will support improved access to immunizations, access to integrated management of childhood diseases and improved feeding practices. Sub-grants to indigenous non-governmental organization (NGO) activities will help increase the availability of family planning services, while social marketing will expand the distribution of condoms and oral contraceptives. Since capacity building is critical for achieving sustainable health care delivery, USAID will fund training, commodity procurement and technical assistance. HIV and infectious disease awareness activities have a cross-sector approach. For example, agricultural cooperatives will have access to and promote condom use; education programs will increase awareness of transmission risks and general prevention mechanisms, and NGO capacity strengthening will include innovative HIV/AIDS service delivery for targeted populations. FY 2002 DA population funds will support high-impact reproductive health interventions, including maternal nutrition activities, and mobile clinics. In FY 2002, CSD-funded basic education activities will enhance teachers' skills through pre-service and in-service training. Teacher-learner support systems and community-government partnerships will benefit from interactive radio teaching modules as well as the development of syllabi and materials in critical areas such as "culture of peace," environment, and nutrition. CSD funds will develop appropriate HIV/AIDS education materials for inclusion in schools and for use in awareness promotions in schools and teacher training institutions. Support for humanitarian assistance is a major component of USAID assistance to Ethiopia. The poorest families, the chronically food insecure, and those in disaster-prone areas will continue to benefit under the P.L. 480 Title II program. Activities will assure food availability through the Government's safety net and by promoting policy changes. Policy changes will focus on improving private sector channels; supporting a Food for Education program to encourage families to keep primary school-age children in school; financing NGO programs to upgrade community infrastructure; and enhancing disaster preparedness. The Democracy and Governance (DG) program aims to improve civil society advocacy, improve the quality and responsiveness of the judicial system and advocate for human rights and the effective use of public resources. Improving the livelihood of pastoralists (herders) in Ethiopia's southern tier is critical. The harsh environment, combined with ineffective social and political coordination, frequently results in conflict over control of available resources. Technical assistance in agriculture will aid the development of livestock marketing associations, appropriate agricultural methods and alternative forms of comprehensive risk management, as well as train community animal-health workers. In other sectors, USAID will support maternal health; child survival and nutrition interventions; and an affordable, appropriate teacher support system and curriculum. In addition, USAID in collaboration with the U.S. Department of State, will finance activities developed to foster the renewal of economic activity across the border area, including fostering of trade and renewed communication between Eritreans and Ethiopians living along the border, the people most directly affected by the conflict. Ethiopia is at a turning point in the relief-to-development continuum. The challenge is to seize the moment, to make investments now in people, infrastructure, and programs that will help to alleviate, if not eliminate, the chronic food insecurity and need for humanitarian assistance. Despite the development challenges, USAID -- in concert with the Ethiopian Government, international and local non-governmental organizations and other donors -- is making a difference. Activity Data Sheets
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