USAID strategy in Ethiopia! What can it be?

Ethiopia
USAID's Strategy in Ethiopia

Though making progress, Ethiopia remains one of the poorest and most famine-prone countries in the world, with more than half of the population living on less than US$1 per day. USAID’s success has largely to do with its leadership in addressing the uncertainty and instability of rural Ethiopians’ livelihoods, working with the Government of Ethiopia (GOE), other donors, international organizations, the private sector, and civil society organizations.

The challenge over the coming years is to strengthen the GOE’s ability to carry out its plans for the security of the most vulnerable populations and accelerate economic growth in this country that acts as the linchpin to stability in the Horn of Africa and the Global War on Terrorism.

ANTICIPATING AND MANAGING SHOCKS

Localized droughts in 2004 and 2005 will cause food shortages for 10 to 12 million people. USAID's program to improve the capacity of the GOE to anticipate and manage shocks like droughts through improved emergency preparedness and disaster mitigation and response is central to the famine prevention strategy.

USAID supports the GOE's Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission to respond to crises in a rapid, integrated, and coordinated manner. Timely warning in the two most recent droughts that occurred almost back-to-back ensured a rapid delivery of food, health, agriculture, and water assistance and saved thousands of lives.

IMPROVING HUMAN CAPACITY

USAID programs link health, HIV/AIDS, and education to improve access to and use of primary health care and education services. Health programs focus on increasing child survival and immunizations for measles, polio, and meningitis; strengthening reproductive health planning; improving maternal and child nutrition practices; treating and controlling malnutrition, pneumonia, diarrhea, tuberculosis and malaria; and improving health care systems.

As a focus country for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, USAID works in the prevention of HIV/AIDS and care and treatment of the over 1.5 million people infected with the virus.

USAID supports the GOE to improve the primary education system planning and management capacity at all levels. Programs enhance teachers’ capacity; provide supplementary media and materials that focus on girls; strengthen parent and community involvement in school management; and expand alternative basic education for out-of-school children and functional adult literacy.

STRENGTHENING GOVERNANCE

While restrictions on free media and civil society still exist in Ethiopia, open debates and formation of new opposition parties and coalitions are underway. USAID’s program supports community-based reconciliation efforts, conflict early warning and response mechanisms, and free and fair elections.

Programs bringing together community leaders and government in conflict areas have led to local-level conflict mitigation. Training to enhance the professional competencies of judges and the institutional capacity of Ethiopian courts has enabled judicial systems to support the democratization process.

SUPPORTING MARKET-LED ECONOMIC GROWTH

USAID focuses on agricultural-based economic growth to reduce poverty and food insecurity and prevent famine in Ethiopia. Programs improve economic policy; increase market-led private sector growth, trade competitiveness, and agricultural productivity; protect and increase the assets of the poor; and provide emergency assistance.

A land administration program will improve land tenure security. Support to agricultural cooperatives enables small-holder farmers to benefit from reduced production costs and higher prices for their products; to export cash crops such as coffee and oilseeds directly to international markets; and forge business partnerships with agro-processors, commercial horticulture producers, and traders. USAID loan guarantee programs provide short-term (marketing) and medium-term (investment) financing.

Pastoralist programs train local animal health workers to address livestock diseases and link pastoralists to markets.

ENCOURAGING KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

Improved information analyses and dissemination will help policy makers in Ethiopia make better-informed decisions and lay a foundation to reduce vulnerability to famine, hunger, and poverty.

USAID aims to improve overall economic policy and governance and support local think-tanks to play a greater role in the policy analysis and reform process. For example, USAID supported the citizen report cards survey, which tracks the effectiveness of delivery of government services.