World Bank Group Statement on Ethiopia

WASHINGTON, October 18, 2016 --The recent tragic events in the Amhara and Oromia regions that led to the declaration of a state of emergency in Ethiopia are of great concern to the World Bank Group. Such events have dire economic and developmental consequences.

As a development institution, the World Bank’s most important role is to help countries end poverty and address their citizen’s demands for basic services such as education, health, and clean water. Our programs in Ethiopia employ a range of rigorous accountability mechanisms, including field visits, independently commissioned surveys, regular financial audits, and independent evaluations, to ensure resources reach those for whom they were intended and achieve sustainable results.

The World Bank is supporting Ethiopia across many sectors and in all regions and federal cities of Ethiopia with an emphasis on the poorest and most vulnerable people. 

According to the United Nations MDG Report 2015, Ethiopia is among the countries that have made the greatest progress toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Over the past two decades, with the support from development partners including the World Bank Group, Ethiopia has made significant progress in key human development indicators: primary school enrollments have quadrupled, child mortality has been cut in half, and the number of people with access to clean water has more than doubled. Notwithstanding these notable accomplishments, Ethiopia still faces challenges in achieving the maternal mortality and gender MDGs.

We are currently in the process of developing a new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for Ethiopia. The CPF is informed by an extensive series of consultations with Ethiopians in order to reflect their aspirations in our engagement and harmonize the CPF priorities with the most urgent development needs of the country. We have already held some consultations with key stakeholders in Ethiopia and have engaged other audiences, including those outside of Ethiopia, through online platforms. The World Bank Group will remain in dialogue with a broad range of stakeholders to build mutual understanding and provide opportunities for Ethiopians to achieve their development aspirations.