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The United States will focus on boosting farm
productivity, through sustainable agricultural
development assistance under its foreign assistance
programme to Ethiopia, its Deputy Secretary of State
for Management and Recourses Jacob J. Lew disclosed.
This would only show the degree of emphasis the US
gives towards sustainable development in Ethiopia,
Lew said in a press conference last Monday, June 29,
2009. The briefing was at the end of his first trip
to Ethiopia and East Africa during which, he said,
he met with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, several
ministers, private sector and NGO groups.
"The particular focus of my visit is on two foreign
assistance initiatives central to both our new
administration and Ethiopia," the Deputy Secretary
of State said.
The two areas he referred to as central are hunger
and global health.
He was challenged by journalists whether this is an
indication that the United States is shifting its
direction of support from humanitarian aid to
Ethiopia during the last two decades to a new
concept provided in the form of development aid.
Development issues had already been part of the
agendas set by US governmental organizations
including USAID and PEPFAR, whose programs have
already been engaged in sustainable agricultural
growth endeavours and other meaningful health sector
work in Ethiopia, he responded.
About 60pc of the one billion dollars of foreign aid
the US provided to Ethiopia last year went to
humanitarian aid, according to Lew.
"I think it is a bit of an over statement to
characterize the existing foreign assistance program
as being purely emergency assistance. Most of the
food aid USAID programs have been pursuing has been
sustainable agriculture for many decades, while the
PEPFAR program is aimed at three diseases; HIV/AIDS,
malaria and tuberculosis," he explained.
The US has been focusing on building a health
infrastructure in both USAID and PEPFAR programs;
"…so it is not a new concept but rather a change of
balance."
According to the Deputy Secretary of State, the
discussions with Meles and other senior government
officials have focused on Ethiopia's Civil Society
Organizations (CSO) Laws, the election in 2010 and
the desire by the United States for the Ethiopian
government to allow open forums which include
opposition parties before the next Ethiopian
election.
Political instability in Somalia and the United
States' request for military intervention by foreign
countries and its plans to handle issues related to
Somalia were also part the discussion with
journalists.
Lew stated that the United States supports the
Federal Transitional Government of Somalia, "in a
way to open door to give a chance for peace and
stability that the people of Somalia have been
missing for the last 18 years."
He indicated that the US would prefer the issue be
dealt with by intervention from the African Union
(AU) along with initiatives from neighbouring
countries such as Kenya and Djibouti.
Jacob J. Lew was appointed to his current position
on January 29, 2009. |
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