ROME — The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) signed an agreement to provide Ethiopia's regime with $19.5 million loan and $19.5 million grant to support the delivery of basic social services to some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the country – pastoralists and their families.

After the success of its first phase, the Pastoral Community Development Project will extend its reach to three times as many households.

Operations will be extended to 57 districts of the Afar, Oromia, Somali and Southern regions, which account for about 45 per cent of Ethiopia’s pastoral lowlands.

The loan and grant agreement was signed today in Rome by Mr. Abebe Kelemu, Chargé d’Affaires a.i., Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Rome, and Kevin Cleaver, Assistant President of IFAD.

The project will improve health, sanitation, food, safe drinking water and basic education and also enhance access by the herders to financial services; in particular it will encourage the establishment of women-owned pastoral rural savings and credit cooperatives.

Pastoralists are vulnerable to increasingly frequent droughts, which wipe out their livestock and assets.

Pastoral areas are the most vulnerable to chronic food insecurity and need a long-term development.

Pastoralist is the main source of livelihood for 12-15 million Ethiopians. If appropriate policies are implemented not only can their living conditions improve but also their economic potential be unleashed
To date, IFAD has funded 13 projects and programmes in Ethiopia for a total investment of about US$ 235.8 million.

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