A signing ceremony for a grant agreement for food aid to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia was held on 27 October 2011, between the Government of Japan and the United Nations World Food Programme [WFP], in Rome, Italy. The grant amount was 580 million Japanese Yen, [about 132 million Ethiopian Birr] to the people suffering from food shortages caused by the worst drought to have hit the Horn of Africa in decades. The agreements were signed by H.E. Mr. Masaharu Kohno, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Italy and Mr. Amir Abdulla, Deputy Executive Director of WFP.

The Government of Japan extended this food aid through WFP in connection with the Food Aid Convention, 1999. The grant is extended to Ethiopia as part of the Government of Japan’s response to the appeal of the UN Secretary-General to support the work of the UN Agencies in responding to the current emergency in the Horn of Africa. The total amount was 2.31 billion Japanese Yen [524 million Ethiopian Birr] for Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti, Sudan, Somalia and South Sudan to be channeled and implemented through the World Food Programme.   

Related to Japan’s assistance to drought victims in the Horn of Africa including Ethiopia, in 2011, the Government of Japan has already provided 95 million USD through international organizations such as UNHCR and WFP. Similarly, Japan extended 1million USD for supporting NGO activities in the Horn of Africa and Emergency Relief Supplies to the refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya, worth 1.1 million USD for the support of the drought disaster in the Horn of Africa. With all together, Japan’s contribution to the relief for the drought in Horn of Africa will amount to 127 million USD [2.2 billion Ethiopian Birr] this year.