Word from our Representative

2018 was a pivotal year for children in Ethiopia. Amid historic political transformations and a series of conflict-related emergencies affecting several parts of the country, UNICEF and the Government worked together to achieve results for children

After widespread protests and unrest, the resignation of former Ethiopian Prime Minister (PM) Hailemariam Desalegn in February 2018 ushered in the most significant reordering of political power in the country since 1991. The current PM Abiy Ahmed, elected in April 2018, instituted reforms that have steered Ethiopia on a path to become a multi-party liberal democracy. Most notably, at the Eritrea-Ethiopia Peace Summit in July 2018, President Isaias Afwerki and PM Abiy Ahmed signed a joint declaration to end the border conflict, restore diplomatic relations, and open the border after nearly 20 years of hostilities.

PM Abiy Ahmed also proposed significant changes in the Government leadership. For the first time, women make up 50 per cent of the Cabinet, including the newly created key position of the Minister of Peace, held by Muferiat Kamil.

The Parliament approved the country’s first female president, Sahle-Work Zewde, who highlighted that gender equality will be a priority in her role as head of state. Then in November, the Parliament swore in the country’s first female Supreme Court President, Meaza Ashenafi, a prominent rights campaigner who previously served as an advisor on women’s rights at the UN Economic Commission for Africa.

The ongoing political, economic and social changes presented both opportunities and risks for children and for advancing UNICEF’s child rights agenda in Ethiopia. The political reforms have helped UNICEF to advance its work on public finance for children, including the incremental use of domestic resources to support social sector services, budget transparency, and social accountability.

However, while 2018 was marked by unprecedented reforms and expansion of rights, the social and political transformation also resulted in increased unrest and conflict across the country. Issues related to ethnicity, identity and self-determination manifested in various parts of the country, linked with existing grievances over resources, land rights and local power dynamics. The increase in conflict and displacement presented significant risks to many children. Out of the 2.8 million people internally displaced, approximately 1.48 million were children, of which approximately 50 per cent are girls. Children faced critical challenges, including separation from families and caregivers, risk of disease outbreak, malnutrition, Gender-Based Violence (GBV), and limited access to education.

UNICEF, the Government, and partners worked hand in hand to respond to the emergencies, while also ensuring that core development plans and government systems strengthening work were not disrupted. The attached note documents some of UNICEF Ethiopia’s key achievements in 2018. The increasing frequency and complexity of emergencies has required UNICEF Ethiopia to strengthen its capacity to analyse conflict dynamics and adjust programmes to ensure that conflict dynamics are not exacerbated, humanitarian principles are upheld, and peace-building interventions are considered.

Ethiopia has been on an upward trajectory in its growth and development, achieving most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and significantly improving the lives of children and women. In propelling the country towards middle-income status, the Government and its development partners need to prioritize achieving the unmet MDGs and the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that address shortfalls related to health, nutrition, WASH, education, and child protection, and further reduce regional differences, urban/rural divides, wealth disparities, and gender inequities.

UNICEF remains committed to improving children’s lives in Ethiopia, to give every child the best start in life, the best opportunities to learn and acquire skills for life, the safest transition to adulthood, and the best protection against external shocks and poverty. 

UNICEF is thankful to its many partners, including private and public donors. In 2018, the United Kingdom, Sweden, the United States, European Commission, and Germany represented the top five government donors to UNICEF Ethiopia, in addition to millions of generous individuals donating through UNICEF National Committees. We remain committed to improving our efficiency to deliver the results children deserve and the accountability our supporters demand.