§ 14. Tony BaldryTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on development assistance to Ethiopia. [157884]
§ Hilary BennAs I saw during my recent visit, the problems facing Ethiopia are immense. Almost one half of its 70 million people live below the national poverty line. Hunger, HIV/AIDS and the need to provide basic services pose enormous challenges.
The time is right for the international community to play a much larger role in helping Ethiopia meet these challenges. This is what the UK intends to do. On current plans, UK development assistance will increase from £19 million this financial year to £57 million in 2005–06. This will include substantial direct budget support. We will also support the Ethiopian Government's own plans to tackle the roots of hunger.
931WAt the same time, we will continue to respond to immediate humanitarian needs. This year, despite the good harvest, some 7.2 million people will still need support to stay alive. The reason is not a shortage of food as a whole in Ethiopia—it is poverty. During my visit, I agreed to provide immediate further assistance of £10 million to meet both food and non-food needs, including water, sanitation and health. We will continue to keep the situation under very close review.