Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen underscored the need to ensure food security of people living below the poverty line so as to achieve Ethiopia’s target of development at the launching of the second phase urban safety net program in the capital Addis Ababa yesterday.
The government would give due attention to ensure food security of people living below poverty line, he added.
Diriba Kuma, the Mayor of Addis Ababa, specified that that 200,000 dwellers living in 55 woredas (districts) would benefit from the 2nd phase of the program. About 600,000 people are estimated to live below the poverty line in Addis Ababa and more than 320,000 people have so far benefited from the first and second safety net programs.
The urban safety net program was launched in 2016 in partnership with the World Bank a cost of 450 million US dollars. The Ethiopian government allocated 150 million US dollars for the program, while the remaining 300 million US dollars was a loan from the World Bank.
