USAID Launches $60 Million Initiative to Support 120,000 Vulnerable Households in Ethiopia

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched a $60 million initiative called the Feed the Future Ethiopia Highlands Resilience Activity. The program aims to connect 120,000 vulnerable households in Ethiopia to markets and financial resources to improve their livelihoods and resilience to shocks. The activity will be led by Mercy Corps, with support from local NGO and technical partners, and will operate in six regions of Ethiopia over the next five years.

The Highlands Resilience Activity will work in tandem with the Ethiopia Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP), a multi-billion-dollar food security and social welfare program, to reduce extreme poverty and enhance resilience for extremely poor and vulnerable rural households. Many of the beneficiaries are graduates of the PSNP. The activity will be implemented in 36 woredas where the PSNP already operates.

Why this matters: This initiative is part of the longstanding partnership between the United States and Ethiopia to improve the lives of Ethiopians in various sectors. It represents a significant investment in reducing extreme poverty and enhancing resilience for vulnerable households in rural Ethiopia.

USAID's Economic Growth and Resilience Office Director, Amber Lily Kenny, stated that the program will help Ethiopians earn a living, benefit from trade, and receive financial assistance. In 2021, an additional $2.2 billion investment was launched by international partners to support nine million people each year under the PSNP. The Highlands Resilience Activity builds upon these efforts to further reduce poverty and improve livelihoods for vulnerable households in Ethiopia's highlands regions.

Key Takeaways

• USAID launches $60M "Feed the Future Ethiopia Highlands Resilience Activity"
• Program aims to connect 120,000 vulnerable households to markets and resources
• Activity will work with Ethiopia's Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP)
• Represents a significant investment to reduce poverty and enhance resilience
• Builds on $2.2B investment by international partners to support PSNP