Transcript | Prime Minister’s Office Press Briefing – 15 June 2021
Press Briefing by H.E. Sani Redi, State Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Kinfe Hailemariam, Deputy Director General at the National Meteorology Agency, and Billene Seyoum, Press Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office, on key highlights of the week and recent developments in agricultural intervention in Tigray ahead of the planting season
15 June 2021
Addis Ababa
–
[check against delivery]
OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER
Key highlights of the Prime Minister’s activities this week:
On Sunday, June 13th, the Meskel Square Mega Project was inaugurated together with the Addis Ababa Municipality to Leghar Churchill Road walkways expansion project. Initiated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and executed by the City Administration, the 3.5km sidewalk expansion and the Meskel Square 2.5 billion birr development projects are beyond aesthetic value. The works undertaken are human design-centred and aspire to unlock the city’s economic and social potential. As we know Meskel Square is the country’s largest and iconic public square. As a site that has hosted many historical events of cultural, religious, social, and political significance, the works undertaken to enhance functionality are aimed at catalysing economic activities with a 1400 basement parking facility, underground and overground shops.
As the highly anticipated 6th National Elections take place on Monday, June 21st 2021 with more than 40 million people registered to vote, the Prime Minister has made a call to all Ethiopians to also go out and plant. This year’s Green Legacy program targets 6 billion seedlings nationally with 1 billion prepared for neighbouring countries. The call on Election Day is a call for citizens to exercise their democratic rights by voting and to dispense their citizen duty by planting for a climate-resilient Ethiopia.
On Tigray:
Before handing over, I would like to reiterate a few points that the global community needs to be aware of, considering continued calls for humanitarian assistance issues that have already been addressed:
On visas for humanitarian actors: it has been several weeks now since three-month visas for humanitarian actors with the possibility of extension has been facilitated
Communication Equipment: close to 350 Thuraya satellite phones have been provided to humanitarian organizations that have requested
Preparations are under their final stages for the resumption of directs flights to the town of Shire in the next one or two weeks
170,798 Metric Tons of food have been distributed so far in the region for those requiring assistance
The Government of Ethiopia, World Food Program, World Vision, Care International, Food for the Hungry, and local NGO REST remain as the key providers of food assistance thus far. So other humanitarian actors willing to support are encouraged to augment current efforts.
Disinformation
Another component that I would like to highlight is the continuation of fake news, disinformation, and data distortions that are at play. Support for our people of Tigray entails accurate data-driven information and not alarmist polemics, as the Government remains front and center in the rehabilitation and rebuilding of lives and livelihoods in the Tigray region.
You can see in the images some of the fake news that is being circulated widely claiming chemical weapon attacks. We of course know that social media is rife with fake news but concerning is when individuals that are being called by international media and international organizations to give testimony are also using fake images and news for a fictitious narration. As you can see in these images the fake news being used under Tigray and the source of images used in cases unrelated to Ethiopia.
Source: Ethiopian Embassy UK