U.S. Donates Funds To Support UNHCR HIV/AIDS Programs in Ethiopia
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees announced recently that the U.S. has pledged about $982,000 to support the agency's HIV/AIDS programs in refugee camps in Ethiopia, the Daily Monitor/AllAfrica.com reports. The funding will be provided under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, according to a UNHCR statement. Ethiopia currently hosts more than 86,000 refugees from Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan in seven camps. According to the statement, UNHCR is working to protect and support the refugees while it assists the Ethiopian government in rebuilding its infrastructure, as well as the areas in and surrounding the refugee camps.
UNHCR is "grateful for the continuous support of the government and people of the U.S. in favor of refugee care and protection worldwide," UNHCR's Addis Ababa-based regional liaison representative said in the statement, adding that the "contribution is yet another expression of their commitment to support UNHCR's humanitarian activities in this part of the world." UNHCR programs in Botswana, Kenya, Rwanda and Zambia also have received PEPFAR funding, according to the statement (Daily Monitor/AllAfrica.com, 9/10).