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Ethiopia joined World Health Organization (WHO) led COVID-19 medical research initiative, according to Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI).

In its media briefing today regarding the on-going research works, Deputy Director-General of the Institute, Dr. Alemseged Abdissa said the institute is working on drug test in collaboration with the WHO. 

The drug test will work in conjunction with 30 countries around the world, he said adding Ethiopia after Egypt and South Africa has joined the research network from Africa. 

The test involved more than 12,000 participants and 500 hospitals which make it a large research network developed since the outbreak of COVID-19.

He also said that the drug test will be used to determine whether other drugs can be used for the treatment of Coronavirus.

According to Alemseged, the experiment was not only filtering drugs, but also a testament to the potential of drug testing. The cost of the research will be covered by the Ministry of Health.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, held phone conversations today with the Foreign Minister of South Korea, Kang Kyung-wha and the Foreign Minister of Ireland, Simon Coveney.

Demeke briefed them on how the TPLF clique has been playing destructive roles in the country undermining the comprehensive socioeconomic reform that brought hope to the people of Ethiopia.

He said the group’s abysmal attack on the Ethiopian Defense forces on 4 November 2020 had ended the limits of the government’s patience and necessitated the operation to restore rule of law in the region.

The possibility of protracted insurgency that the disgruntled elements of the TPLF clique could carry out in the region is a pipe dream as they have no legitimate cause to fight against the government, he added.

By now the operation is over, he said, and the government is giving its utmost attention to rehabilitation and restoration works with close communication with the interim government in the region while increasing efforts to apprehend fugitives.

Thanking him for the briefing, the Foreign Minister of Korea expressed her concerns about the safety of South Koreans in the region.

Demeke assured her that the government has frequent contacts with the identified South Korean citizens and is helping them to frequently communicate with relevant South Korean bodies in the country.

Talking with the Foreign Minister of Ireland about humanitarian assistance given to affected people, Demeke said the government is actively working with international organizations in delivering food and non-food items to people in some areas of Tigray.

The Ethiopian government is communicating with the government of Sudan to repatriate displaced people to their homes, he said.

The cases of some of the refugees in Sudan that have been accused of being associated with the massacre in Tigray will also be investigated, he added.

The phone conversations ended with the Foreign Ministers thanking Demeke for addressing their concerns and briefing on the latest situations in the Tigray region.

State of Emergency Spokesperson, H.E. Ambassador Redwan Hussien, and Disaster Risk Management Commissioner H.E. Mitiku Kasa gave a briefing today (December 08) to the media about the current situation in Tigray, particularly on the humanitarian assistance activities in the region.

Ambassador Redwan reiterated that the government is in the latest phase of its law enforcement operation that gives priority to restoring infrastructure and rehabilitation of the affected people.

The hideouts of the TPLF criminals have already been identified and apprehending them would be materialized soon, the ambassador added.

He also talked about complaints of some aid agencies and the media for not getting easy access to the region and the presence of some bottlenecks in related issues.

Ambassador Redwan said all people, including humanitarian agencies need to align their operations with the directions given by the federal government about operation rules in the region, not only out of respect to the sovereignty of the country but for their own safety too.

Mr. Mitiku Kasa, on his part, talked about the ongoing humanitarian assistance in the region with a particular emphasis on coordination mechanisms between government organizations and non-governmental aid agencies.

He said the government is running the humanitarian assistance project through forming about 10 cluster arrangements that coordinate government agencies and the non-government ones based on the type of assistance that the people in Tigray need.

According to Mr. Mitiku, the arrangements include, among others, clusters on agriculture and livestock, water and sanitation, health, nutrition, food and non-food items, logistics, women and children.

The humanitarian assistance begins with the already vulnerable people who were aid recipients even before the commencement of the law enforcement operation in Tigray, he said.

However, he said, people who need humanitarian support and other locations in Tigray would further be identified with the cooperation of the interim government in Tigray.

He finally underscored that Aid agencies should cooperate with the government-led humanitarian support program for scores of reasons, including the rich experience of the country in handling such issues during drought, conflict, flood, and other disasters.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Demeke Mekonnen yesterday briefed ambassadors of Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and South Africa on the current situation in the Tigray region.

He appreciated the ambassadors and leaders of the countries that they represent for fully supporting the law enforcement operation in Tigray following the sudden attack of the TPLF clique on the northern command of the Ethiopian Defence Forces.

The efforts of South Africa, in its capacity as the Chair of the African Union for 2020, to bring peace in the region are commendable, he said.

Demeke said the operation is swiftly completed with minimum civilian causalities that enabled the federal government to carry out its plans to restore law and order in the region.

Now the government is engaged with rebuilding infrastructure and telecommunication services, ensuring access to humanitarian assistance to the affected people, returning displaced people to their homes while apprehending the fugitives, he said.

He said the federal government is working closely with the interim administration of the Tigray region that has already started establishing the bureaucratic structure in the region, citing Shire as an example.

The ambassadors appreciated the federal government for rapidly concluding the law enforcement mission without compromising the lives of civilians, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

They also affirmed that they are willing to support the federal government of Ethiopia in its efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to the affected people.

They have reiterated that the leaders of their respective countries’ are committed to stand by Ethiopia noting that Ethiopia is an anchor of peace in the region.

The Council for Ethiopian Diaspora Action yesterday organized a zoom meeting to raise fund to support the on-going humanitarian service provision efforts in Ethiopia.

Guest of Honour and Minister of Peace, Muferihat Kamil, extended her gratitude to the Ethiopian diaspora communities for their financial and material assistances as well as knowledge transfer to their country.

She said the Government, in partnership with its compatriots at home and abroad, will strengthen its efforts of building a nation that accommodates all Ethiopians equally.

State Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Ambassador Birtukan Ayano, for her part urged the Diaspora community to join hands and engage in tackling the misinformation being spread by those hired by the TPLF clique.

Commander of Ethiopian Air Force, Maj Gen Yilma Merdassa, said the support of the Diaspora community from the onset of law enforcement operation was important for the victory achieved so far.

“This support would be a morale booster for further national mission,” he added.

Ethiopian Ambassador to the USA, Fitsum Arega, praised the Council for Ethiopian Diaspora Action for their successful activities and pledged to continue working with it.

Demilew Alimaw, President of the Council, thanked government officials, head of defence army and other participants for taking part in the fundraising event.

During the event, more than $21,000 dollars were raised for the humanitarian service provision efforts in Ethiopia. The Council has so far collected $330,000 via Gofundme campaign.