Ethiopia wants to pass a supplementary budget worth 122-billion birr (R39.55bn) to help finance programmes to rebuild areas destroyed by war and provide humanitarian aid, its finance ministry said on Thursday.
The budget is much larger than previously reported in the heavily indebted country. The government-affiliated media outlet Fana said on Monday that the government was seeking a $102m (R1.62bn) supplementary budget “to be used for rehabilitation of people affected by war and conflict”.
“The additional budget will be spent on security of the country, humanitarian aid … and other necessary government works,” the ministry said in a statement on its Facebook page.
The request will have to be approved by parliament, which is expected to give its approval, but the ministry did not say how the money would be raised.
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front and the federal government and its allies have been at war for more than a year. The conflict has killed thousands and displaced millions. Among those who have borne the brunt of the conflict are humanitarian workers.
The UN refugee agency UNHCR said on Thursday that one of its staff members had been killed in northern Ethiopia, but gave no details. Filippo Grandi, the head of UNHCR, tweeted that the staff member had been killed on December 28.
Source: Reuters
In other news – Gomora actress Lerato Mokoka (Tshiamo’s) age shocks Mzansi
Lerato Mokoka plays the role of Tshiamo Molefe on Gomora. On the Mzansi Magic telenovela Gomora, the Tshiamo role is the teenage daughter of Pretty Molefe and Sbonga.
She lives at the Sonto house with her grandmother MaSonto and cousins Buhle and aunt Thathi. Learn more
