Reunion Wire

Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader, McHenry Venaani, has requested that President Nangolo Mbumba declare a State of Emergency on account of drought.

In an open letter to Mbumba seen by Nampa on Wednesday, Venaani said the declaration would help mobilise resources, accelerate assistance and draw international attention, all of which the country direly needs to tackle this looming disaster.

‘I impress upon you to heed the call of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Forestry to declare drought a national emergency, as empowered by Chapter 4, Article 26 of the Constitution. Mr. president, the importance of this matter cannot be stated enough. The government ought to learn from historical disasters and devise strategies to better deal with calamities of this nature,’ read the letter.

He said the recent announcement by NamWater indicating that the three key dams in Windhoek are only filled to 18.7 per cent combined capacity serves as a dire warning, hinting at the perils that lie ahead, adding that the
relentless El Niño climatic phenomenon exacerbates this already precarious situation, causing severe rainfall shortages.

Venaani said the adverse effects of climate change have brought the nation to an alarming state, where the imminent threat of meteorological calamity overshadows daily existence, citing that the severe rainfall shortages indicate not merely a seasonal irregularity, but a dreadful specter of climate changes, a matter that deserves undivided attention and swift action.

‘Our farmers, the backbone of our economy, could bear the brunt of this impending disaster without timely and requisite assistance. We must remember, Mr. president, that the nature of our challenge is not merely environmental, it is human. The livelihoods at stake are the ones of our brothers and sisters, the very fabric of our society. Therefore, it is our moral duty to ensure their welfare, in the face of adversity,’ said Venaani.

He also called on the president to devise a crop subsidy for farmers that have cultivated mor
e than one hectare of land through insurance institutions such as NASRIA, as this particular category of farmers is usually left without any assistance.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Addis Ababa: The Ethiopian Ambassador to Pakistan, Jemal Beker along with Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination has launched the ‘Ethio-Pakistan Fraternity Under Green Legacy’ initiative at the University of Sialkot, Pakistan.

In its press release sent to ENA today, the embassy said that this Green Legacy Initiative will be instrumental for fostering fraternity between Ethiopia and Pakistan.

Ambassador Jemal and Coordinator to the Prime Minister Pakistan on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Romina Khurshid Alam launched the initiative in presence of government officials, religious community, businessmen, academia students, civil society and media, according to the press release.

The initiative was launched as part of collaboration among the embassy of Ethiopia, Pakistan’s Ministry of Climate Change and the University of Sialkot, it was indicated.

More than 200 plants of different indigenous species were planted under the ‘Ethio-Pakistan Fraternity U
nder Green Legacy’ Initiative which was followed by a climate walk in the town which was participated by a large number of people.

Currently, Ethiopia has embarked on an ambitious campaign of planting billions of trees every year in an effort to achieve a greener and cleaner environment and tackle the adverse effects of the climate crisis.

As part of the ambitious Green Legacy Initiative to plant 50 billion trees in two phases, so far the country has planted more than 32.5 billion trees through the initiative launched by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in 2019

Addressing the launching ceremony, Ambassador Jemal Beker expressed gratitude for the Government of Pakistan for joining hands with the Ethiopian embassy for fostering brotherhood and fraternity between the two big nations.

‘Today we gather here not only to save the planet earth but also to connect the two big and historic nations, the heirs of civilizations and protectors of the rule-based world order while fighting together the global challenges such as
terrorism and climate change,’ the Ambassador remarked.

Ambassador Jemal recalled the recent flash flood that brought devastation to Pakistan’s shore which he had personally witnessed during his visit to tent cities in Sindh.

‘Climate change is an existential threat that will not spare any place or area on this planet earth if we did not come together to combat this challenge which is not a problem for only Pakistan or Ethiopia but the rest of the world,’ he said.

To this end, he said the embassy of Ethiopia launched the Green Legacy Initiative to contribute to the efforts of the Government of Pakistan towards a greener and cleaner future for the next generations.

He further stated that the Ethiopian embassy along with other stakeholders would do massive plantations throughout the week in other major cities including Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura and others.

‘Our efforts in this regard are completely aligned with the vision of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed who transformed Ethiopia under his Med
emer philosophy which strongly advocates for aligning all the resources to provide home grown solutions to the home grown problems,’ the ambassador stressed.

Jemal added Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed mobilized the whole nation under the Green Legacy initiative and so far, more than 32.5 billion seedlings planted across the country in the last five years which included the saplings of fruits like avocado, papaya, banana, oranges, olives and many others.

Likewise, coffee, animal feed and floral plants were also planted, taking us closer to our target of 50 billion seedlings until 2025.

In addition to that, more than 150,000 nurseries were set up in the country as well as over a million jobs.

Speaking on the occasion, Coordinator to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Romina Khurshid said she was delighted to make a formal announcement regarding the collaboration between the embassy of Ethiopia in Islamabad and the Ministry of Climate Change of Pakistan.

She
said Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had accorded the approval to formalize the collaboration at bilateral level between the two countries and assured of his government’s strong commitment in this regard.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Addis Ababa: The Ethiopian delegation led by Finance Minister, Ahmed Shide held strategic discussions with US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Amb. Molly Phee, the Special Envoy for Horn of Africa, Amb. Michael Hammer and Under Secretary for US Treasury for International Affairs, Jay Shambaugh.

On the sidelines of the 2024 WB-IMF Spring Meetings, they discussed Ethiopia’s current economic and political situation and ongoing reforms aimed at improving the country’s macroeconomic framework, according to Ethiopia’s Embassy in Washington, D.C., USA.

The two sides also exchanged on the comprehensive support needed to address Ethiopia’s economic recovery as well as national cohesion and regional stability, including by mobilizing bilateral support through the IMF and WB.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Addis Ababa: The success of Ethiopian Airlines is not only on the passenger side but also in maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO), Fairfax Africa Fund Global Chairman Zemedeneh Negatu said.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, the chairman said Ethiopian Airlines has a very large MRO shop, which is one of the biggest in the world and the best in the world to maintain modern aircrafts.

It’s a very well-known organization for maintaining aircrafts, not only for itself but other airlines send their aircraft here, he added.

According to Zemedeneh, Ethiopian Airlines is the biggest airline in Africa and one of the largest in the world.

‘Its success is not only predicated on its ability to transport passengers from around the world, but also its ability to maintain these very sophisticated, very expensive aircrafts.’

Moreover, Bole International Airport is today the largest gateway for travel into and out of Africa.

‘On top of that, Ethiopian Airlines, which travels from Africa to other parts of the world a
nd into Africa, is bigger than Emirates, Turkish, and Lufthansa combined in Africa.’

One of the challenges a lot of African airlines face in addition to not being able to afford to acquire aircraft is not being able to find affordable and quality MRO services on the continent, the chairman said.

He added that African carriers used to send or send their aircraft to Europe or in some cases all the way to the United States to repair and maintain their aircraft at very expensive rates, whereas Ethiopian Airlines, certified by all the manufacturers, is right here in Africa.

Presently, however, Zemedeneh said that you see aircraft from many African countries, including Nigeria and Rwanda, among others.

The pan-Africanism that we talk about is being demonstrated clearly to the active support of Ethiopian Airlines for other African carriers, he noted.

‘I think it is a testament to what happens when you have investment, vision, determination and the capacity to deliver something that used to be considered stuff t
o be done in Europe, stuff to be done in America, is done in Africa right here in Ethiopia.’

The chairman pointed out that Ethiopian Airlines has been doing this for a very long time. The airline has been around for almost 75 years, but the maintenance shop has also been around for decades.

The airline has the expertise and is benefiting other African carriers as well, he stated.

Recognizing the necessity of effective MRO services for the smooth operation and success of an airline, Ethiopian Airlines operates a modern MRO facility at its hub in Addis Ababa, established in 1957, and developed over the years.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency