African Union donates additional $50,000 for the wellbeing and rehabilitation of vulnerable children in northern Ethiopia

The African Union has donated additional urgent food and non-food items worth fifty thousand US Dollars ($50,000) to the Elshadai Relief and Development Association (ERDA), which caters to over three thousand displaced and orphaned children in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia.

The donation is part of efforts to promote the implementation of the Permanent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) and support the well-being and rehabilitation of vulnerable and conflict-affected communities in Ethiopia.

The items were delivered on behalf of the AU by Major-General Stephen Radina, Head of the AU Monitoring, Verification, and Compliance Mission (AU-MVCM), to Mr. Yemane Weldemariam, Director and Founder of the ERDA, on 31 October 2024, in the presence of a team from the AU Commission, officers of the MVCM and staff members of the ERDA, as well as some beneficiaries. Based on the needs and requests of the ERDA, this second donation included food items and bedding purchased from local vendors as part of an effort to empower local businesses in the Tigray region.

During the handover, Major-General Radina thanked the ERDA leadership for caring for such a vast number of needy children and reaffirmed the AU’s commitment to support the government and people of Ethiopia in their quest for lasting peace in Tigray through the implementation of the Permanent COHA, to ensure sustainable peace and socio-economic stability.

This is in line with the aspirations of Agenda 2063 and its flagship initiative of Silencing the Guns in Africa. He also thanked the authorities for their commitment to sustainable peace. Following a visit to the ERDA storage facility, the General praised the ERDA for the excellent management of the donated items and urged them to share with their branches in the Shire and other parts of Tigray while promising AU’s continuous support.

Mr Yemane Weldemariam, Director and Founder of the ERDA, thanked the AU leadership and the AU High-Level Panel on Ethiopia for contributing to peace and stability in Tigray and for the meaningful support totaling $100,000, following an initial donation of items worth $50,000 on 10 September 2024. He noted that this is one of the most significant forms of support the ERDA has received. He welcomed the AU’s promise to provide future assistance.

The African Union is grateful to Japan for its support and commends all partners supporting the quest for lasting peace and stability in the Tigray region.