Alice Wairimu Nderitu, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide (Photo: UN)Addis Abeba – The United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Alice Wairimu Nderitu, has issued a warning about an increased risk of genocide and related atrocities in Ethiopia. This comes as violent conflicts intensify in various regions of the country, including Amhara and Oromia. Nderitu drew attention to the presence of risk factors for genocide and atrocities and urged the international community to address the situation. The UN Special Advisor stated that the current situation in Ethiopia aligns with several warning signs and risk factors for genocide outlined in the UN Framework of Analysis for Atrocity Crimes. The Commission’s report of 18 September, 2023, revealed that despite the ceasefire, atrocities, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, persist throughout Ethiopia.

The Afar State Mines Resource Development and Job Creation Bureau is actively working to increase revenue from the mining sector and tap into the untapped potential of the region. There are about 1200 members in over 12 artisanal associations in Afar. Challenges in the mining sector include parallel markets and traditional gold extraction methods. The bureau stated that it was ready to provide seamless support to investors and youth interested in engaging in legal business within the mining sector. Their strategy calls for a rise in artisanal associations as well as increased job prospects in the mining industry.

In her annual opening speech at the joint session by the House of People’s Representatives (HoPR) and House of Federation (HoF), President Sahle-Work Zewde said the government intends to send 500,000 Ethiopian migrant workers this year. The migrant worker program is supported by the Ethiopian Labor Market Information System (E-LMIS), a portal-based solution that acts as an intermediary between workers and employers in the labor market. The newspaper identified approximately 300 recruitment posts on Facebook from various Ethiopian state agencies, providing misleading information to entice Ethiopian women to register for the Saudi recruitment campaign. The migrant-worker program has also faced strong censure from human rights groups due to its perilous working conditions, exploitation, and mistreatment of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia without repercussions. Officials state that they are actively taking measures to prevent and alleviate the challenges faced by Ethiopian migrant workers.

After what it described as "major reforms" at Ethiopian refugee camps, the World Food Programme says it has resumed the distributions of food aid that had been suspended amid reports of large-scale theft.

SHARE ...State Department refuses to acknowledge Israeli killings of PalestiniansBy Ray HananiaThe U.S. State Department hosted a press conference with reporters to reiterate President Biden’s total an unwavering support for Israel and it’s “right” to respond to terrorist attacks. MR MILLER: Go – Said, go –QUESTION: (Inaudible) —MR MILLER: Okay – you know what, I’m going to move around. I will let Israel speak to the number of Israeli citizens they have killed as well as the number of Palestinians they have killed. And you state that —MR MILLER: — of Hamas behaving in the most inhumane way possible. QUESTION: No, no, I am saying – I am saying to you —MR MILLER: Let me – let me move on.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan airline EVA Airways (EVA Air) has been ranked 8th in the world this year by over half a million readers of Conde Nast Traveller magazine. Under its listing for the Top 15 Airlines in the World: Reader's Choice Awards 2023, the U.S. luxury and lifestyle travel magazine on Oct. 3 revealed that EVA AIR was ranked 8th globally by its readers with a score of 80.71. That same day, EVA Air was also rated 8th on the magazine's list of the top 10 "best airlines for food" with a score of 88.32. However, Conde Nast Traveller emphasized that what really makes the airline shine is its staff, particularly its flight attendants who have been praised for their "warmth and efficiency." In a press release issued on Oct. 6, EVA Air President Clay Sun (孫嘉明) was quoted as saying, "During the pandemic, EVA Air continued to improve the quality of its services.

The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has begun rolling out food distributions to nearly 900,000 refugees in Ethiopia after a hiatus due to food aid diversion. In June, the WFP suspended its food aid assistance program in the East African country, citing large-scale and “absolutely unacceptable” food aid misappropriation, and diversion. The WFP said the resumption of food aid to refugees in Ethiopia follows a full revamp of the safeguards and controls in its refugee operations. The new reforms also include bolstered feedback and reporting systems for refugees, while additional non-government organizations have been recruited and trained by the WFP to manage food distributions. New and detailed food collection procedures will ensure that refugees know they are receiving the right entitlements every time.

Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%..TonightOvercast with rain showers at times. Thunder possible. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.

ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian government has called on the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to strengthen its support to Ethiopia in the migration response efforts. This came during the meeting of Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen with the IOM Director General Amy Pope in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, Tuesday. Mekonnen expressed his desire for a strong partnership between the UN migration agency and the Ethiopian government, the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. He called on the IOM to scale up its support for the East African country in its endeavors to manage migration. Pope underscored IOM's commitment to its partnership with Ethiopia in the resettlement and rebuilding of refugees, according to the statement.

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - The U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) has resumed distribution of food to roughly 900,000 refugees across Ethiopia after revamping safeguards and controls, following reports of large-scale theft of its donations, it said in a statement. The WFP suspended food distributions in all of Ethiopia in June, a day after the United States announced it was doing the same because of diversions of aid. Ethiopia hosts a further 850,000 refugees mostly from Somalia, South Sudan and Eritrea. WFP said there had been major reforms at all refugee camps in Ethiopia, with all 24 warehouses in camps now exclusively managed by the WFP. More non-governmental organizations have been trained to manage food distributions, and new collection procedures will ensure refugees get the right entitlements.

A young Ethiopian man named Abdi Tufa has been heralded as a lifesaver after he jumped from a moving bus and braved a flooded river to rescue a 10-year-old boy from drowning. Despite being hit by rocks and logs carried by the floodwaters from the highlands, he persisted until he reached and saved the boy named Riyad Nesru. The young boy had become trapped in the flood while tending to his family’s goats in the town of Hirna, located 350km (220 miles) to the east of Addis Ababa. He recalled that the child was in dire straits as he peaked through the bus window. Riyad’s uncle described Abdi as an angel sent by God to rescue their child, emphasizing that Abdi’s heroism prevented a tragic loss.

Barely 3% of Ethiopian high school students have passed the university entrance exam, the education minister has announced, a score similar to that of last year. "Of the 845,188 students who took part in the entrance exam, only 27,000 obtained the average required to be admitted to university", explained Berhanu Nega, quoted by the national news agency ENA. "But there is a lack of interest in tackling the real teaching and learning problems that affect student performance", he added. According to UNICEF, Ethiopia has made "enormous progress towards universal primary education" in recent years, with 88.7% of the country's children enrolled in primary school by 2021-2022. Only 10% of the age group was in higher education in Ethiopia in 2018, according to the World Bank.

Major international airlines and cruise ships are either delaying or cancelling journeys to and from Israel this week due to the continuing war with Gaza. Any change to future operations will be communicated to affected guests immediately.”Other global airlines to pause operations include Gulf Air, Swiss Air, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and Cathay Pacific. The Hong Kong airline has cancelled flights on Tuesday and Thursday, and plans to review its schedule ahead of forthcoming services on Friday and Sunday. Border crossings with Egypt closeMayal said travellers had used the land border via Egypt when flights were cancelled after Israel declared war on Hamas. The other two crossings are the commercial border post of Karam Abu Salem, which lies where Gaza, Egypt and Israel meet, and Al Ouga, on the Egyptian-Israeli border.

The region has witnessed a continuous rise in malaria cases since 2017. According to the Institute, a staggering 82% of the population in the Amhara region is highly susceptible to the spread of malaria. Damte Lanker, coordinator of the malaria program at the Amhara Regional Public Health Institute, stated that 90% of reported malaria cases are concentrated in the western part of the region, with one of the affected districts being East Dembia. According to OCHA, the majority of cholera cases are reported in Oromia (33%), followed by Amhara (19%) and Sidama (13%). Nationwide, the number of cholera cases has risen from 13,118 on 12 July, 2023, to 24,197 as of 3 October, 2023, according to OCHA's most recent report.

GERD project workers (Photo: newarab.com)borkenaEthiopia is in the final stages of completing the civil engineering aspect of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) project within this Ethiopian year. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed posted a cryptic message on social media, saying that the fourth filling was the final one. This led to confusion among Ethiopian activists on social media who read his message. A negotiation took place in Addis Ababa between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan following the fourth filling between September 23 and 24. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is a massive hydroelectric dam on the Blue Nile River which is known in Ethiopia as Abbay river.