Vienna, Austria, June 19, 2013. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is partnering with the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) to help finance a project that will help rural communities in northern Ethiopia adopt modern agro-industrial processing technologies and generate new job opportunities.

OFID is supporting the US$2.5 million project with a US$600,000 grant. The grant agreement was signed in Vienna today by UNIDO Director General, Kandeh K. Yumkella, and OFID Director General, Suleiman Jasir Al-Herbish.

Gillian Moyes, Response Team Leader, Afar, Ethiopia

The landscape of Afar is spectacular. As we drive through sandy desert, black volcanic rock, and white salt flats, I can’t help thinking this strange landscape would be a great location for a sci-fi movie set on a far flung planet.

Mizan June 11/2013 More than 109,000 children are immunized against measles in a five-day campaign carried out in Bench Majji Zone of South Ethiopia peoples' State, the zonal health department said. Disease Prevention and Health Development Main Work Process head with the Department, Negere Kostab said the stated number of children are immunized at 247 centers in 247 urban and rural localities. Negere said the children are aged between nine months and five years. Some 247 health workers and volunteers took part in the campaign undertaken from May 30-June 3,2013.

Addis Ababa June 10/2013 Ethiopia and Japan here on Monday signed grant agreements amounting to 1.5 billion Birr. Finance and Economic Development State Minister Ahmed Shide and Japanese Ambassador to Ethiopia, Hiroyuki Kishino signed the agreement. Some 1.43 billion Birr of the stated sum will be used for rehabilitation of Lumame-DebreMarkos road while the balance will go for implementation of safe water projects in Amhara State. Ahmed on the occasion said Japan is a long time development partner of Ethiopia.

Gondar June 10/2013 The government of Netherlands expressed readiness to support the ongoing efforts of Amhara and Tigray States to add value and supply sesame to the global market. The government has allocated 1.9 million Euros for implementation of projects in sesame growing areas of the states for the coming three years. Country Project Coordinator , Dr. Geremew Terefe said at a relevant forum that the project is aimed at making sesame production competitive in the global market especially in Europe and Japan. Dr.

Nekempt June 06/2013 Construction of a hospital and a health station is underway in Gudru and Abe Dongoro Woredas, HoroGudru Wollega Zone of Oromia State with over 38.2 million Birr, the zonal health office said. Office Head, Tolesa Jebesa said the hospital, which will have X-Ray service, outpatient, surgical and delivery wards, among others, is being constructed on over four hectares land. Tolesa said over 99 per cent of construction of the health station being undertaken on 1.5 hectares land is already completed.

In Tigray, northern Ethiopia, the ICRC is preparing for droughts by using a geographic information system to monitor water points.

The track passes a wind generator before plunging into a brown landscape, dry and desert-like at this time of year. In September the same fields will be green, covered with onions, lettuce and teff, a typically Ethiopian type of cereal. The two colours symbolize the rigours and the beauty of a land that has seen many a cruel drought.

Debrebirhan May 30/2013 Foundation stone was laid for a hospital to be constructed in Meragna Town, capital of Mida Woremo Woreda, North Shoa Zone of Amhara State with over 38 million Birr. Regional justice bureau head Firde Cheru and zonal chief administrator Eshete Asfaw laid the foundation stone for the hospital. Firde on the occasion said the regional government is working to help the public benefit from social service in particular in the health sector. Eshete on his part said construction of the hospital will contribute in the ongoing efforts to achieve the MDGs in the health sector.

By Grace Lerner

Nearly 30 years after the 1984 famine that left more than 400,000 people dead, Ethiopia has made significant progress toward food security. Some of these recent successes include a reduction in poverty, an increase in crop yields and availability, and an increase in per capita income—rising in some rural areas by more than 50 percent!

What happened to cause this breakthrough, and what steps does the country need to stay on track?