Climate change induced challenges such as flood and drought are affecting African countries, especially East African countries, causing suffering on people’s livelihood, Ethiopian Meteorology Institute (EMI) Director General said. To solve the problems, Fetene Teshome stated that it is necessary to strengthen meteorological infrastructure and service of the continent to set up modern data collection and improve service capacity. Speaking at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Regional Associations I (Africa) Management Group that started in Addis Ababa today, the director general said the meeting will discuss building capacities in the meteorological service sector to provide improved services. WMO Regional Office for Africa Director, Amos Makarau said on his part that flooding and drought have been affecting developing African countries. Africans need to, therefore, use their own resources to provide meteorological services to overcome the challenges. According to him, Ethiopia has used its potential to realize cloud computing technology and set an example for other Africans. The recent drought in Ethiopia, repeated floods in East Africa and other effects of climate change continue to be a challenge for developing countries in the continent. WMO has reportedly allocated 110 million USD for the modernization of its Africa office. Source: Ethiopia News Agency

Medicine

Ethiopia has become the third largest refugee-hosting country in Africa since the beginning of this month with sheltering 844,589 registered refugees and asylum-seekers, according to United Nations Higher Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) Ethiopia Fact Sheet.

The overwhelming majority of refugees and asylum-seekers originate from South Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea.

Some 34,485 refugees in Ethiopia have received COVID-19 vaccines, out of which 30,065 are fully vaccinated.

According to the source, UNHCR, Agency for Refugees and Returnees Service and partners would continue to reinforce prevention measures in refugee camps and sites hosting internally displaced persons.

The fact sheet stated that UNHCR would continue to respond to the situation of IDPs in Ethiopia, leading and co-leading the Protection and Camp Coordination & Camp Management Clusters and providing protection, emergency aid and other support to IDPs and IDP returnees.

 

Source: Ethiopia News Agency