Ethiopian Red Cross Society: 2.53 million people need humanitarian support
Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS) announced its emergency response and early recovery fundraising plan 2021, on the press conference held at Sheraton Addis Hotel on January 05, 2021.
ERCS President, Abera Tola, on his opening speech, said that human and nature made calamities, mainly conflict, flood, locust swarm, covid-19, among others, have been alternately ravaging our country causing endless humanitarian crisis especially in the last two years. He told that where ever calamities are in rage, and whenever humanitarian crisis strikes, the Ethiopian Red Cross Society has always been there first and the last to withdraw. He added that it has, therefore, been mobilizing its volunteers, staff and other resources to render various humanitarian services with a view to saving life and protecting livelihoods. The president called upon the public to support the Society. He also urged the community to be a Red Cross member and volunteer.
During the press conference, Engida Mandefro, ERCS Deputy Secretary General underlined that 2.53 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in Tigray, Amhara, SNNP and Benishangul-Gumuz regions which requires 9 Billion Ethiopian Birr, to provide general and supplementary food, non-food items, water and sanitation services, essential shelter, health care facilities, psycho social support, and livelihood recovery.
Since the onset of conflict and violence over the last two months, ERCS has provided ambulance and first aid services and non-food items including medicine and essential shelter for the victims. Moreover, ERCS Mekele Branch has been providing water trucking to the residents. These services have been given to over 200,000 persons with the cost of 30 million Ethiopian Birr. Earlier on from July-October, 2020, RCS has reached 138,000 beneficiaries who were in need of humanitarian support with 70 million Ethiopian Birr. Over 300 volunteers and staff and 100 ambulances were mobilized for this humanitarian mission including the locust swarm affected areas of the country in which ERCS actively involved in saving the lives and protecting the livelihoods of the vulnerable.