Addis Ababa, July 13, 2022(Walta) – Ethiopia and Japan signed a food assistance program that was worth approximately 3.5 million USD yesterday.
The Minister of Finance, Ahmed Shide, and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ethiopia, Ito Takako signed the exchange of notes for the “Food Assistance Programme.”
The grant aid is worth approximately USD 3.5 million, equivalent to ETB 180 million, according to the Ministry of Finance.
Through this grant aid, around 2,250 tons of Japanese rice will be provided to Ethiopia, in order to combat food insecurity brought on by various factors including the droughts, the conflict in the north, drought, and the extremely high number of IDPs in the country.
As a lot of rice consumption in Ethiopia has relied on imports recently, this grant aid will help Ethiopia not only to combat food insecurity but also to reduce imports and contribute to saving foreign currency.
Japan has supported rice production in Ethiopia since 2015, as one of the main pillars of the agricultural sector.
The Government of Japan has been actively supporting the development of Ethiopia and contributing to the improvement of people’s lives through various schemes, particularly in the fields of infrastructure, agriculture, industry, education, and health.
Japan will continue to support Ethiopia’s development efforts through various Japanese Assistance Projects, as well as through other modalities of assistance.