18th December 2014
2014 is the deadliest year on record for migrants, registering double last year’s total. Nearly 5,000 migrants lost their lives this year at sea or in remote deserts or mountains, according to IOM. Even more disturbingly, the number of migrants dying on dangerous journeys in the hope of finding better lives for themselves and their […]
18th December 2014
My first task this week was to represent the #UK at a meeting of the African Union’s (#AU) Peace and Security Council #AUPSC on the subject of “Women, Peace and Security”. The UK has long been a strong supporter of much of the work of the AU, but especially when it comes to peace and […]
9th December 2014
A joint blog with Julius Court, Acting Head of DFID-Ethiopia The latest Band Aid song focuses on Ebola. Rightly so, whether or not you agree with all the lyrics. During the festive season 30 years ago, when the original track was cut, the focus was on Ethiopia – specifically the northern region of Tigray. Everyone […]
2nd December 2014
Recently we learnt the date of next year’s election in #Ethiopia – 24 May 2015. So last Monday marked the 6 month countdown. I know that the National Election Board, #NEBE, are already very busy making preparations. This will be only the fifth opportunity Ethiopians have had to chose their government through the ballot box: […]
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3rd November 2014
This week we welcomed Sir Alec and Lady Reed back to Addis Ababa to mark the 25th anniversary of #Ethiopiaid. Since it was established in the #UK in 1989, branches have also been opened in #Australia, #Canada and #Ireland. And some £30 million – around a billion Birr – has been donated to meet urgent […]
4th October 2014
Her Royal Highness (HRH) the Princess Royal spent three days in Ethiopia last week – her fourth visit to the country, the first having been in 1974. And once again HRH made a considerable impact, visiting not just Addis Ababa but also projects in Adama and South Sudanese refugees in Gambella. HRH was here primarily […]
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13th September 2014
A few weeks ago some cases of malaria briefly gave rise to rumours that #Ebola had arrived in #Addis. Thankfully this was wrong, but the story went viral on social media. Rumours and misinformation can spread even faster than Ebola. As the disease continues to spread, there are increasingly worrying projections about how far it […]
20th August 2014
As I write, I am representing the #UK in an open session of the Africa Union’s #(AU) Peace and Security Council #PSC in Addis Ababa to commemorate World Humanitarian Day #WHD2014 – a date which marks, of course, the horrific bombing of #UN Headquarters in Baghdad in 2003. It seems today that the humanitarian system is being stretched […]
4th August 2014
On 3 August 1914, Europe saw the start of the worst human disaster experienced up to that time when the German Empire declared war on France. The subsequent World War (#WW1) cost the lives of at least fourteen million people and shattered the fabric of society. The war set in motion a chain of events […]
29th July 2014
#Retrak is a #UK-based #charity which enables street children in Africa to realise their potential and discover their worth. It’s been operating since 1994 (when it was just a football club in #Uganda) and now offers a wide range of services to street children in #Ethiopia, #Kenya, #Malawi, #Tanzania and #Uganda. It has also helped […]