Ethiopia
VSO in Ethiopia
VSO has been working in Ethiopia since 1996 and it has the following programmes:
Ethiopia background
Ethiopia is a country in eastern Africa, west of Somalia. Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule, with the exception of the 1936-41 Italian occupation during World War II. In 1974 a military junta, the Derg, deposed Emperor Haile Selassie (who had ruled since 1930) and established a socialist state. Torn by bloody coups, uprisings, wide-scale drought, and massive refugee problems, the regime was finally toppled in 1991 by a coalition of rebel forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF).
A constitution was adopted in 1994 and Ethiopia's first multiparty elections were held in 1995. A two and a half year border war with Eritrea ended with a peace treaty on 12 December 2000. Final demarcation of the boundary is currently on hold due to Ethiopian objections to an international commission's finding requiring it to surrender sensitive territory.
Ethiopia's poverty-stricken economy is based on agriculture, in particular on coffee production. The war with Eritrea in 1998-2000 and recurrent drought have buffeted the economy. Access to health care and social services for the rural population mainly is extremely poor; resources are heavily concentrated in Addis Ababa and other urban centres.
The number of health care professionals per unit population is one of the lowest in the world. Staff receive inappropriate training, staff productivity is low, and supply of essential medicines and related stocks is variable and often unavailable. Safe water supply and sanitation are totally inadequate.
Read more:
- Find out about our Education programme in Ethiopia
- Find out about our HIV and AIDS programme in Ethiopia
- Find out about our Participation and Governance programme in Ethiopia
- Read about VSO's work in other countries