President calls on ERCS to sustain support to drought affected areas
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ADDIS ABABA — THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD Newspaper 7 May 2016: President Dr. Mulatu Teshome, who is also the Patron of the Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS), praised Society’s efforts in helping vulnerable people with its voluntary and humanitarian aids over the past years.
The President called on the Society to sustain support to drought affected peoples across the country.
The Society has organized an Exhibition and Bazaar with the theme: ‘Hiwot le Hiwot in connection with the conclusion of its 80th anniversary and the International Red Cross and Crescent Day being marked as ‘Everywhere for Everyone’.
Opening the Exhibition and Bazaar yesterday, the President said the Society has been carrying out varied activities in supporting people at risk. The efforts in mobilizing the community and a number of organizations to solicit resources for drought affected population is a manifestation of the Society’s pro-people movement.
The Society should renew its effort to stand by vulnerable segments of society to provide them necessary humanitarian aid, Dr. Mulatu noted.
Society Board Chairperson Ahmed Reja on his part said that the Society has been extending humanitarian aid to vulnerable people in times of artificial man made and natural disasters. Similarly, the Society is currently providing nutritious food to 170,000 breast-feeding mothers and children under five.
The Society is also extending humanitarian assistance to people affected by flood and other natural disasters while it is actively engaged in mobilizing resources from governmental and non-governmental organizations, Dr. Ahmed added
In addition to relief works, the Society is striving on long term plans to be able to deliver improved and better services to the affected people.
So far, the Society has made donation worth around 40 million Birr for drought affected population, according to Society Secretary General Frehiwot Worku.
“We are trying to fill the gap. The government is doing a good job in supporting the victims while the Society is extending support to areas that need urgent interventions,” she said.
Representatives of the International Federation for Red Cross and Crescent Societies and International Committee of the Red Cross have also praised the role and contribution of the Society over the last 80 years and reaffirmed to increase their partnership with it.
All the speakers urged residents of Addis Ababa city to visit the four-day exhibition to demonstrate their full support to humanitarian and voluntary services provided by the Society since 1927 E.C.
BY DESTA GEBREHIWOT