East African Humanitarian Conference Discusses Ways of Putting HDP Nexus in Region 

Addis Ababa, December 11, 2025 (ENA)— An East African humanitarian conference that focused on how to put the Humanitarian-Development-Peace (HDP) Nexus into practice was held in Addis Ababa today.

The objective of the HDP focus area is to support implementation of programs and projects in conflict affected situations by bridging the gap between HDP actors based on their comparative advantages.

 

 

Speaking on the occasion, Eshetu Dessie, advisor to Ethiopia’s Minister of Peace, emphasized the ministry’s broad mandate; that is coordinating peace building and strengthening community resilience through conflict prevention, reconciliation, and social cohesion nationwide.

Acknowledging challenges such as limited capacity and resources amid overlapping crises like climate shocks, displacement, and conflict, which place extreme pressure on systems, the Advisor urged partners to align programs with national priorities, engage government structures, support capacity building, improve information sharing, and adopt conflict-sensitive community-driven approaches that integrate humanitarian aid, development investments, and peace building.

Addressing the region’s recurring natural hazards, Eshetu highlighted Ethiopia’s efforts to strengthen cooperation with neighboring countries, especially in environmental management and natural resource protection, setting positive examples for regional resilience against repeated climate threats.

South Korea's Ambassador to Ethiopia, Jung Kang, reaffirmed his country's commitment to sustainable peace and development in the Horn of Africa.

 

 

Drawing from Korea’s own journey from poverty to prosperity, he stated that economic growth, human development, and peace must support each other.

Korea aims to deepen partnerships by sharing its advanced expertise in humanitarian development to support long-term stability.

KOICA Country Director, Kim Taeyoung, stated the complexity of crises from climate disasters to public health emergencies facing communities in the Horn of Africa.

 

 

The Country Director underlined the urgent need for unified approaches that bridge humanitarian action, development cooperation, and peace efforts to build lasting resilience.

The conference was framed as an opportunity for mutual learning and practical collaboration to enhance systems and help communities withstand future shocks.

Korea Foundation for International Healthcare Office Head, Jongsoh Ahn, highlighted the organization's active partnership with Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health.

 

The collaboration addresses critical health issues including maternal and child health, tuberculosis, malaria, and non-communicable diseases — emphasizing efforts to improve health services and outcomes for vulnerable populations in Ethiopia and neighboring countries, he added.

The event themed Humanitarian Development Peace (HDP) Nexus operationalization, with a specific focus on building resilient systems and communities in the Horn of Africa, was hosted by Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH).

 

It brought together high-ranking government officials from the Horn of Africa, representatives from national institutions, academic think tanks, international organizations, bilateral donors, embassies, multilateral development banks, the private sector, and philanthropic groups.

The objective of the HDP focus area is to support implementation of programs and projects in conflict affected situations by bridging the gap between HDP actors based on their comparative advantages.