Japan Pledges Over 30 Mn USD Food Assistance to COVID-19, Locust Victims

Addis Ababa June 27/2020 (ENA) Japan has pledged 30.2 million USD food assistance to COVID-19 and locust affected persons in Ethiopia.

Japan Ambassador to Ethiopia, Daisuke Matsunaga told ENA that the assistance came after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe had a phone conversation on COVID-19 and desert locust.

According to the ambassador, the assistance will be delivered to the adversely affected communities through the Word Food Programme.

The National Disaster Risk Management Commission report states that five million people are affected by COVID-19 and lost their jobs.

Over one million people are also in need of emergency food assistance in the country after the worst desert locust outbreak.  

Ambassador Matsunaga said Japan has remained supportive to Ethiopia.

In addition to the assistance to be delivered through WFP, "we are also providing medical equipment, protective clothing and other materials through UNDP and UNCIF,” he stated.

Appreciating Ethiopia’s effort in battling of coronavirus to minimize the devastating effect of the virus, Ambassador Matsunaga said Japan is also providing advanced medical equipment, including medical purpose generators, ambulances and CT scanners,

"I hope the Ethiopian people will endure this current difficulties and overcome the difficulties as well as put this difficulty behind as soon as possible. So, please keep working hard and let us maintain our hope for the future; and this too will pass.”