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An independent Ethiopia based online media focusing on current affairs. Original content+daily gist of media monitoring
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#Somalia: #UN: Almost 1 million drought-hit Somalis in al-Shabab areas

The United Nations says close to 1 million drought-affected people in Somalia are in areas under the control or influence of the al-Shabab extremist group, and it appealed to the fighters to allow humanitarian access as famine threatens the country.

The U.N. secretary-general’s special representative in Somalia, James Swan, told journalists Wednesday that the 900,000 people in those areas represent a “relatively small” share of the more than 7 million in need as the Horn of Africa country faces its worst drought in several decades. Thousands of people have died, including many children.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/un-almost-1-million-drought-hit-somalis-in-al-shabab-areas/2022/10/26/9ee8f1cc-5502-11ed-ac8b-08bbfab1c5a5_story.html
#Ethiopia: Red Cross reunites families with 185,000 calls and messages in Ethiopia

In nine months from January 2022, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS) have helped some of these families remain in touch through more than 185,000 free phone calls and exchange of messages, particularly in Northern Ethiopia where fighting continues.

"I cannot express the feelings in words," says Silas. "I was also able to hear my brother's voice seven months later [when he called] through the Red Cross. When I received the call, I was a bit confused. It took me time to believe that I was talking to my family member from home. All my fears were gone in seconds."

https://www.icrc.org/en/document/red-cross-reunites-families-185000-calls-and-messages-ethiopia
News: Ruling party Central Committee member, #Somali region MP Juweria Subcis shot dead “deliberately”: Regional official

Juweria Subcis, a member of the ruling Prosperity Party Central Committee and the Somali regional state Parliament was shot and killed “deliberately”, Mohamed Guray, Deputy Chief of Security of the Somali regional state confirmed to #AddisStandard.

Protests were held yesterday in in 05 and 06 Kebeles in #Jigjiga, including in the vicinity of the victim’s house, according to Siraje Abdikadir, a lecturer at Jigjiga University.

https://addisstandard.com/news-ruling-party-central-committee-member-somali-region-mp-juweria-subcis-shot-dead-deliberately-regional-official/
#Ethiopia - #Kenya: Commercial Bank Kenya expresses desire to commence service in Ethiopia

Following Ethiopia’s decision to open its financial sector to foreign investors, the Commercial Bank of Kenya expressed its interest in engaging in the country’s financial sector.

A delegation of the Bank’s senior officials visited the Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC).

The delegation commended the Ethiopian government’s recent decision to open up the financial sector to foreign investors.

Following Ethiopia’s offer to foreign investors in the sector, the Commercial Bank of Kenya is the latest to express interest to be engaged in the sector in the country.

Temesgen Tilahun, Deputy Commissioner of EIC, explained to the delegation about the investment policies, recent economic reforms and the objective of opening up the financial sector to foreign investors.

Commercial Bank of Kenya has more than 125 years of experience in the banking sector and is operating in seven East African countries, as per EIC.

EIC/FBC
News: #AU Chairperson expresses hope #Ethiopia peace talks will “lead to a ceasefire and opening a way to bring humanitarian support”

Chairperson of the African Union, Moussa Faki Mahamat expressed his hopes that the AU-led peace talks happening in South Africa between the representatives of the federal government and Tigrayan authorities “will lead to a ceasefire and opening a way to bring humanitarian support to those who are in need.”

The Chairperson made the remarks during a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Ottawa, Canada, where both were visiting on 27 October. In addition to Ethiopia, the two also discussed the upcoming U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, scheduled to take place on December 13-15, 2022 in Washington, DC.

https://addisstandard.com/news-au-chairperson-expresses-hope-ethiopia-pace-talks-will-lead-to-a-ceasefire-and-opening-a-way-to-bring-humanitarian-support/
#Somalia: Somali national army arrests senior Al-Shabaab operative

Somali national army on Thursday confirmed that its forces arrested a senior al-Shabaab operative in the Middle Shabelle region.

In a statement, the army said Mohamed Jelle Jarasow was nabbed following a security operation in War-isse village.

Mohamed Jelle was said to have been running Alshabab’s money extortion outposts in Jowhar and Rage-elle towns.

The development comes barely a day after at least 17 al-Shabaab fighters were killed in an operation by the Somali government.

https://halqaran.com/somali-national-army-arrests-senior-al-shabaab-operative/
News: #Ethiopia cautions to weigh its options, consider relations with unnamed “states and entities” making “unsubstantiated and politically motivated” accusations

The Ethiopian government said it “is forced to weigh its options and consider its relations with some states and entities” that it accused of “making unsubstantiated and politically motivated accusations of such gravity against the country”.

The statement issued today comes in the backdrop of growing calls from international rights organizations and institutions on the fear of atrocity crimes in the #Tigray regional state, where joint forces of the Ethiopian and #Eritrean armies as well as regional forces from the neighboring #Amhara region are taking control of cities and towns in recent weeks.

https://addisstandard.com/news-ethiopia-cautions-to-weigh-its-options-consider-relations-with-unnamed-states-and-entities-making-unsubstantiated-and-politically-motivated-accusations/
News: #Ethiopian Red Cross Society condemns killing of on duty ambulance driver, injured patients onboard

The Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS) “strongly condemned” the killing by “armed forces” of its staff, Mengist Minyil, who was an ambulance driver in the North #Gonder branch of the Ethiopian Red Cross, in Amhara regional state. ERCS also said injured patients who were onboard the ambulance were killed by the unnamed armed forces along with the driver, and issued an appeal to armed forces to refrain from such acts.

The driver, Mengist, was on duty transporting "injured patients of conflict" from #Adwa, in the #Tigray region en route to #Wolkait, #AdiRemets Hospital.

https://addisstandard.com/news-ethiopian-red-cross-society-condemns-killing-of-on-duty-ambulance-driver-injured-patients-onboard/
News: Number of IDPs in #Ethiopia show slight decrease in June and July: #IOM

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says there are 2.72 million internally displaced people in Ethiopia according to data collected between June and July, a slight decrease from previous round of data collection in March-April 2022.

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However, both figures do not include the war torn Tigray regional state, where over two million people are believed to have been uprooted from their homes. The IOM said the exclusion of data from Tigray in the national total was due to “operational constraints.”

https://addisstandard.com/news-number-of-idps-in-ethiopia-show-slight-decrease-in-june-and-july-iom/
#Ethiopia's #Tigray running out of medical supplies, #WHO warns

"In these situations of hardship and limited access, often death happens at a community level that goes underreported and unregistered," Altaf Musani, the #WHO director of Health Emergencies Interventions, told reporters on Friday.

Musani noted the situation was "deeply worrying."

https://www.dw.com/en/ethiopia-tigray-running-out-of-medical-supplies-amid-health-crisis-who-warns/a-63590971
#Ethiopia: #Malaria kills 37, infects more than 130, 000 in #Oromia in three months alone: Regional Health Bureau

Thirty seven people have died and more than 131, 000 have been infected with malaria in the past three months, Abera said, the deputy head of the Oromia Health Bureau, Abera Botore said.

“Around Matehara area, an unprecedented outbreak of malaria-resistant mosquitoes has emerged. In addition, the anti-malarial chemicals that were previously sprayed from house to house are not available as required,” according to Abera.

https://addisstandard.com/news-malaria-kills-37-infects-more-than-130-000-in-oromia-in-three-months-alone-regional-health-bureau/
#Somalia: Death toll from twin #Mogadishu bombings rises to 104

The death toll from Saturday's terror attack in Mogadishu has climbed to 104, the mayor of Mogadishu said on Sunday afternoon.

During a press conference, Yusuf Hussein Jimale Madale said 269 people were seriously injured in the twin-car bomb explosions at the Ministry of Education.

He called on the people missing family members or friends to visit local hospitals to help identify the bodies.

He added that the government would investigate reports that volunteers were asked to pay for blood tests before donating blood to Saturday's terror attack victims.

"We’re telling hospitals not to ask injured people or their families for money before treating them.”

https://hiiraan.com/news4/2022/Oct/188479/death_toll_from_twin_mogadishu_bombings_rises_to_104.aspx?utm_source=hiiraan&utm_medium=SomaliNewsUpdateFront
Peace talks on #Ethiopia's #Tigray conflict are extended

Peace talks between warring sides on Ethiopia’s Tigray conflict have been extended into Monday

An official familiar with the arrangements for the talks confirms that discussions continue in South Africa between Ethiopia’s federal government and representatives from the northern Tigray region.

The African Union-led talks seek a cessation of hostilities in a war that the United States asserts has killed up to hundreds of thousands of people, an estimate made by some academics and health workers.

The first formal peace talks began last week, and South Africa’s government had said they would end Sunday. Representatives of the warring sides have not responded to questions.

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/peace-talks-ethiopias-tigray-conflict-extended-92412445
#Ethiopia: Over half a million people newly displaced in #Tigray, #Afar and #Amhara regions since militarized conflict resumed in August: #UN

The total number of people in need of humanitarian assistance throughout Ethiopia stands at 29.7 million out of whom 12.5 million are children.

In the most affected Tigray region, due to “continued airstrikes and shelling on multiple fronts, more than 210,000 people have been newly displaced since the resumption of fighting in late August”, the report added.

Additional 163,709 people in Afar, in conflict-affected zones bordering Tigray have been displaced as of 30 September, while more than 200,000 people in Amhara, in North #Wollo and #WagHemra zones have also been newly displaced.

https://addisstandard.com/news-over-half-a-million-people-newly-displaced-in-tigray-afar-and-amhara-since-militarized-conflict-resumed-in-august-unicef/
#Brazil election: Lula makes stunning comeback

Brazil has taken a turn to the left as former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva beat far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in the presidential election.

After a divisive campaign which saw two bitter rivals on opposite sides of the political spectrum go head to head, Lula won 50.9% of the votes.

It was enough to beat Jair Bolsonaro, whose supporters had been confident of victory.

But the division which this election has highlighted is unlikely to vanish.

It is a stunning comeback for a politician who could not run in the last presidential election in 2018 because he was in jail and banned from standing for office.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-63451470
#Ethiopia Analysis: #Tigray’s largest hospital “doomed to collapse soon” due to lack of medical supplies, doctors warn as hospital death rate surpass ten percent

Ayder Referral Hospital, the largest hospital in the war-torn Tigray Region, is “doomed to collapse soon” if it is left without any support, the hospital’s CEO Dr Kibrom G/Selassie warns.

In an e-mail interview with #AddisStandard, Dr Kibrom says, “we [doctors] are struggling as much as we can just not to close the hospital completely, and lose even what we could save with whatever meager resources we have.”

“In fact, if the siege is not lifted one way or another, who will remain alive?” Dr Kibrom asks.

https://addisstandard.com/analysis-tigrays-largest-hospital-doomed-to-collapse-soon-due-to-lack-of-medical-supplies-doctors-warn-as-hospital-death-rate-surpass-ten-percent/
#Ethiopia News: Pastoral farmers receive 2.87 million birr to prepare for drought

“I lost almost everything. I only have 12 cows and nine camels left,” says Abdullahi, who remains stunned at how 48 of his cows and seven camels died in months.

Sadly, the drought persisted, and he was forced to sell some of his remaining goats and sheep that survived it to buy food and provide the basic needs of his two wives, 25 children and 29 grandchildren. His family has largely depended on humanitarian assistance from government and the International Committee of the Red Cross (#ICRC).

“I do everything I can to provide for my family. But the prolonged dryness has taken all from me,” says Abdullahi, who lives in #Roggee in the #Meyumuluke district of East #Hararghe, in #Oromia.

https://addisstandard.com/news-pastoral-farmers-receive-2-87-million-birr-to-prepare-for-drought/
#Ethiopia: Ethiopians found in #Malawi mass grave thought to have suffocated

Bodies tentatively identified as adults being secretly transported to South Africa on perilous ‘southern route’

Dozens of Ethiopian people whose remains were found in mass graves in northern Malawi last month most likely suffocated to death while being secretly transported, investigators and campaigners believe.

The tragedy came amid a spate of incidents underlining the dangers faced by tens of thousands of people who entrust their lives to criminal networks that promise passage to South Africa, the most developed country on the continent.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/01/ethiopians-found-in-malawi-mass-grave-thought-to-have-suffocated
News: #Ethiopia restores electricity to various towns in Southern #Tigray, #Amhara regions

The power outage, along with other basic services, have been in place since June 2021 when Tigrayan forces took over most parts of Tigray after ten months of the start of the war in early November 2020.

The Federal government accuses Tigrayan forces of deliberately destructing electric infrastructures, while the Tigrayan authorities say the government has deliberately cut off basic services including electricity, banking and communications in areas under the administration of the Tigray regional government.

https://addisstandard.com/news-ethiopia-restores-electricity-to-various-towns-in-southern-tigray-amhara-regions/
News: #Ethiopian women, children bear brunt of pandemic, conflicts, drought induced basic rights violation: Rights Commission

In addition to the war-torn regions in northern Ethiopia, women and children in #Somali, #Afar, #Oromia, #Gambella, #BenishangulGumuz, and #SNNP regional states have also experienced basic rights violations due to recurring conflicts, according to the report.

Women and children have also been exposed to illegal human trafficking and exploitation, including those who work in the industrial parks.

https://addisstandard.com/news-ethiopian-women-children-bear-brunt-of-pandemic-conflicts-drought-induced-basic-rights-violation-rights-commission/