November 14, 2023, Addis Ababa - UNFPA handed over one high-spec Toyota Landcruiser ambulance, medical equipment, and supplies worth nearly 12.9 million Birr to the Amhara and Benishangul Gumuz regions. The ambulance, medical equipment, and supplies were purchased with the generous funding of the Government of Japan for UNFPA Ethiopia’s humanitarian response.
The ambulance, medical equipment, and supplies will contribute to strengthening the referral linkages for emergency obstetric and new-born care as well as enhancing the capacity of quality integrated sexual and reproductive health service delivery to the most vulnerable women and girls.
Speaking at the hand-over ceremony, H.E. Ms. ITO Takako, Ambassador of Japan to Ethiopia, said “The project aims to increase access to and availability of quality SRH and GBV informationand services for 35,160 vulnerable women, girls, adolescents, and youths in selected emergency-affected districts in 2 target regions” and “while we face many challenges nationally and internationally, the dignity of the individual must not be neglected, and the voices of the most vulnerable must be heard.”
The health system and services in the conflict-affected areas of the Amhara and Benishangul Gumuz regions have been seriously compromised by recent crises, impacting access to sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence information and services. “The ambulance, medical equipment, and supplies, which were handed over today, will enhance the efforts being exerted at UNFPA’s three zeros by 2030: zero unmet need for family planning; zero preventable maternal deaths; and zero gender-based violence and harmful practices”. said Mr. Koffi Kouame, UNFPA CO Representative.
It is acknowledged that the support of the Government of Japan has been very critical to UNFPA in its efforts to meet the increasing demand for life-saving emergency sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence interventions in humanitarian situations. The Government of Japan granted 1.14 million US dollars to UNFPA for the project aimed at increasing access to and availability of quality SRH and GBV information and services for vulnerable women, girls, adolescents, and youth in December 2022. Through project funding from the Government of Japan, UNFPA has donated to the Amhara and Benishangul Gumuz regions nearly 60 metric tonnes of supplies, equipment, and commodities, as well as one ambulance, this year alone.
In line with the 9th Country Programme, UNFPA contributes to strengthening national and regional service delivery systems and the capacity to provide lifesaving sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence information and services for populations affected by crises.
The hand-over ceremony was attended by high level officials from the Ministry of Health and the Amhara and Benishangul Gumuz regions, as well as by senior officials of the Embassy of Japan and UNFPA.
