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The World Bank Group’s Board of Executive Directors on Wednesday approved a $400 million grant from the International Development Association to Ethiopia.

The grant will support Ethiopia’s efforts to improve the incomes of the urban poor and promote the inclusion of disadvantaged urban youth in the labor market under the urban productive safety nets and jobs project (UPSNJP), the bank said in a release.

“Poverty and limited access to economic opportunities remain serious challenges in Ethiopia’s urban areas, and the COVID-19- induced economic slowdown has further exacerbated the situation.

“Building on the successes of the World Bank financed Urban Productive Safety Net Project, the UPSNJP will provide social protection as well as jobs related services to 816,000 beneficiaries in around 83 cities across the country,” said Ousmane Dione, World Bank Country Director for Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Sudan.

Social protection systems have played a key role in reducing poverty in Ethiopia and are a critical component of the country’s long-term development strategy.

The need for effective social safety nets and stable jobs for the urban poor has been further highlighted by the disruptions posed by the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

In order to provide income support in the short run as well as support livelihoods and financial independence over the medium-term, the project will include public works activities with a built-in strategy for graduation, including for refugees and host communities.

Additionally, the project will provide direct cash transfers for the elderly, the disabled, and pregnant mothers, as well as specialized social services for children in street situations and homeless adults, complementing a dynamic safety net system that is responsive to the diverse needs of the urban poor.

To tackle the issue of urban unemployment, especially amongst the youth, the project will support an apprenticeship program to help them get valuable work experience as a pathway to regular employment.

The project will also help strengthen employment and intermediation services through policy development and investments in the infrastructure of the Public Employment Services.

“Given the economic opportunities in urban areas, and based on the Government’s priority for inclusive growth, it is important to combine safety nets with livelihood support and job opportunities, particularly in a country like Ethiopia where young people account for the majority of its population” said Ayuba Sani Hussein, Sr. Social Protection Specialist and co-Task Team Leader for the project.

The project will provide adequate technical assistance and capacity building for the federal urban job creation and food security agency under the Ministry of Urban Development and Construction, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, the Jobs Creation Commission as well as other partners, like the Agency for Refugees and Returnees Affairs and private sector firms.

An Ethiopian delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Gedu Andargachew, met in Khartoum yesterday with high-level Sudanese officials.

The delegation held a wide-ranging discussion on matters of common issues with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Sovereign Council, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister of Sudan.

The Ethiopian delegation constituted senior government officials, including General Adem Mohammed, Chief of Staff of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces.

In a meeting with his Sudanese counterpart, Gedu Andargachew said similar floods have occurred in various parts of Ethiopia that called for further cooperation between the two countries.

The Ethiopian delegation also handed over medical and food supplies to victims of the recent devastating floods in Sudan.

Sudanese acting Foreign Minister Omar Qamar al-Din appreciated the donations by the Ethiopian side, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He stressed that the two countries should always work together to cope with similar problems.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) this month provided $2.9 million worth of training and equipment to the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF).

The equipment donated includes land cruisers, troop transports, ambulances, cargo and fuel trucks, water trailers, operations center computers, and night vision devices.

The donation is aimed at supporting ENDF’s effort to disrupt the threats posed by al-Shabaab in Somalia and other terrorist organizations, said the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa in a statement.

“This donation is just one way the U.S. government supports our Ethiopian partner forces in their fight against terrorism,” it stated.

According to the statement, the donation highlights “another aspect of the partnership between the United States and Ethiopia.”

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Foreign Affairs Minister Gedu Andargachew held telephone conversation with director of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), António Manuel on various issues.

In their conversation, Manuel said IOM is committed to strengthen its relationship with Ethiopian pledging continued support to the country.

The Foreign Minister, to his part thanked the IOM for its support to Ethiopians returning from the Middle East and expressed his hope that the support would continue.

He urged the IOM to reconsider its decision to relocate its liaison office at IGAD from Addis Ababa to a neighboring country.

Since most IOM stakeholders have offices in Ethiopia, it would be suitable for the overall operation if IOM maintains its liaison office in Ethiopia, the minister said.

Mr. António affirmed that IOM would reconsider its decision to relocate its liaison office at IGAD to a neighboring country.