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With a view to strengthening protection capacities for implementation of projects in support of the most vulnerable people in the Horn of African Region, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and Action for the Needy in Ethiopia (ANE) have reached an agreement to work together in the effort to improve the lives and livelihoods of people in need in a number of countries in the IGAD region. The comprehensive five-year agreement was officially penned by H.E Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, Executive Secretary, IGAD and Mr. Salihu Sultan, Managing Director, ANE with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the 3rd of March 2021.
The MoU seeks to create working cooperation between the two offices building the capacities of refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs) and host communities to respond to the multi-sided challenges they face due to their displacement and loss of conducive living environment, provide relief and rehabilitation facilities and create livelihood and self-reliance opportunities to communities adversely affected by manmade and natural disasters. The partnership between IGAD and ANE includes a number of initiatives aimed at complementing existing efforts being made by the Governments of East African States, UN Agencies and partners in the provision of humanitarian and livelihood support for refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and vulnerable host communities in the target countries of operations.
The partnership with IGAD goes a long way in enabling ANE to consolidate its institutional and operational capacities in an expanding scope of operation and working as a technical arm to IGAD in the provision of humanitarian and livelihood support benefitting people in need in Ethiopia and beyond. Plans are currently under way to identify the critical priority needs and the specific areas of engagement. Both offices are actively engaged to tabulate humanitarian and development responses mainly in support of migrants, refugees, displaced people, drought- affected communities and other vulnerable persons of concern in the region.
We believe the new agreement with IGAD marks an important milestone in the growth and development of ANE as an effective and credible partner in the effort to make a positive difference in the lives and livelihoods of people in need in the IGAD region through the instrumentality of the current activities and those to be considered in the near future within the framework of the new partnership with IGAD.
