EthiopiaOVERVIEWSituated in the heart of the volatile Horn of Africa, Ethiopia faces serious national and trans-national challenges. A growing population of nearly 80 million puts tremendous pressure on the farmland, pasture, and natural resources that are the foundation of the country's economic growth. Ethiopia also remains one of the poorest countries in the world, with one in four Ethiopians living on less than $1 a day. Policy reforms are needed to encourage private investment and to expand and strengthen democratic governance. USAID's Ethiopia portfolio is one of the largest and most complex in Africa. Assistance capitalizes on partnership with the Ethiopian Government to deliver basic public services and tackle poverty. PROGRAMSPEACE AND SECURITYRegional stability in the Horn of Africa is inextricably linked to internal stability in Ethiopia. USAID supports conflict mitigation and reconciliation efforts, including facilitation, mediation, negotiation, and problem-solving activities that support government and civil society stakeholders in high-tension and violence-prone areas, notably the ethnic Somali region. In 2009, USAID piloted a program that resulted in the United Nations including conflict analysis in an assessment of internally displaced persons, the successful return of 20,000 displaced persons, and training for 1,000 staff from the government and nongovernmental organizations. GOVERNING JUSTLY AND DEMOCRATICALLYUSAID contributes to multi-donor programs that help build the capacity of institutions such as the Parliament and National Election Board to democratize and improve governance and accountability. Programs with regional courts strengthen judicial independence through legal education training for judges and students, and promote greater understanding of and respect for human rights among police and the courts. In 2009, USAID led advocacy efforts that contributed to pardons for 15,600 prisoners who had been languishing in federal and state prisons. INVESTING IN PEOPLE: HEALTHEthiopia's fertility rate of 5.4 births per woman is one of the highest in the world, and 20,000 new mothers die each year-largely because 93 percent of all deliveries occur at home. About 450,000 children die each year, mainly from preventable and treatable infectious diseases complicated by malnutrition. One in three Ethiopians has tuberculosis, and malaria and HIV/AIDS contribute significantly to the country's high rates of death and disease. USAID's integrated health care program focuses on improving maternal and child health, family planning and reproductive health, preventngn and controlling infectious diseases, and increasing access to clean water and sanitation. USAID also supports the development of human resources and health systems. In 2009, USAID trained 3,398 public health officers and supported the establishment of new financial systems at 66 hospitals and 782 health centers to improve the quality and efficiency of services. INVESTING IN PEOPLE: EDUCATIONUSAID works with the Ministry of Education to raise the quality of primary education by improving teacher skills and methods, providing English textbooks, strengthening school-community cooperation, decentralizing planning and management, and extending civic education. In 2009, USAID helped enroll 1.6 million children in schools countrywide, and trained more than 8,500 primary school principals and community education and training board members in educational planning and management. Programs also focus on increasing access for girls and the disadvantaged and on improving schools in largely Muslim areas. ECONOMIC GROWTHState dominance over the economy severely limits access to credit, private land ownership, and agricultural inputs. USAID works to strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises and smallholder farms, providing access to credit and technical support. USAID also participates in Ethiopia's Productive Safety Net Program, a donor-government partnership to reduce the economic and environmental causes of chronic food insecurity that affects 7.5 million Ethiopians. In 2009, USAID launched the Feed the Future Initiative in Ethiopia to enhance food security, increase agricultural productivity, and reduce the crippling impacts of famine, especially on women and young children. HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCEIn addition to providing emergency food and subsistence relief, USAID assists the Ethiopian Government in strengthening its early warning systems, better responding to emergencies, and implementing a disaster risk management policy. In 2009, USAID integrated essential livelihood baselines into regional and federal early warning systems, established Ethiopia's first masters degree program in disaster risk science and sustainable development, and partnered with the U.S. Forest Service to improve the government's Early Warning Response Directorate. Back to Top ^ Back to Top ^ | 
