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Ethiopia

The Ethiopian Red Cross Society

A woman who received support from the Ethiopian Red Cross Society photographed with two of her children.

Photo: Verity Kowal / Ethiopian Red Cross Society

With a vast network of branches nationwide and over 250,000 volunteers, the Ethiopian Red Cross Society is a leading humanitarian organization in Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian Red Cross Society works closely with public authorities and the government to provide much-needed humanitarian services to underserved communities in Ethiopia, including those in remote areas, as well as strengthening disaster preparedness and risk reduction aligned with national priorities.

The Ethiopian Red Cross Society reaches millions of people each year, highlighting their incredible impact in the country.
 

Working together to support local communities in Ethiopia

A woman in colourful clothing sitting while holding her baby in her lap.

Photo: IFRC

Supported by the Canadian Red Cross, the Government of Canada and other partners through programming since 2015, the Ethiopian Red Cross Society has implemented initiatives to strengthen their ability to prepare for and respond to emergencies.

Canadian Red Cross support has focused specifically on:

  • enhancing leadership in emergency preparedness and response, with intentional considerations for women and girls.
  • improving the ability to respond effectively with humanitarian aid, particularly in the area of health, before, during, and after a crisis.

The Ethiopian Red Cross Society has credited their ability to scale up and better meet humanitarian needs to the capacity-strengthening investments supported by the Canadian Red Cross. This includes establishing an Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) in 2019 to improve information management and coordination during a crisis. The EOC supports the coordination of disaster-related information and helps inform operational decision making on the mobilization of resources needed to support people impacted by an emergency.

Investing in long-term support for people impacted by humanitarian crises in Ethiopia

The Canadian Red Cross Society aims to continue providing immediate and long-term support to populations in need of humanitarian services in Ethiopia. With support from the Canadian Red Cross, the Ethiopian Red Cross Society is:

  • building the capacity of healthcare workers on maternal, newborn, and child health to enhance clinical skills, improve service quality and data management to ensure better health outcomes for mothers and children
  • procuring and distributing life-saving medicines and medical supplies
  • rehabilitating and providing electricity to health centres 
  • strengthening ambulance referral pathways, mass screening and growth monitoring of children
  • implementing social and behaviour change communication activities, and community engagement. 

Supporting the Ethiopian Red Cross Society response to the maternal and child health crisis

The maternal and child health crisis in the Amhara region of Ethiopia requires urgent, coordinated, and sustainable interventions. According to the 2019 Ethiopia Mini Demographic and Health Survey, the national maternal mortality ratio stands at 412 deaths per 100,000 live births, with significantly higher rates in remote and conflict-affected regions like Amhara.

Conflict-related disruptions in the region have further weakened the health system. Many primary health care units are non-functional or partially operational, lacking essential medicines, skilled personnel, and basic utilities such as electricity. The lack of electricity limits the ability to provide nighttime care or power essential equipment such as refrigerators for vaccines.

In response to the immediate and multi-faceted needs, the Canadian Red Cross is partnering with the Ethiopian Red Cross Society to implement a project focusing on maternal, newborn and child health. The goal is to reduce maternal and child mortality through:

  • Improved service availability, quality care, and support for institutional deliveries
  • Routine screening, early detection and therapeutic interventions to combat malnutrition
  • Education on infant and young child feeding practices
  • Empowering communities with the knowledge and tools to adopt healthier practices, particularly in settings where traditional beliefs and misinformation hinder health-seeking behaviour
  • Strengthening health infrastructure and referral systems - including the provision of solar-powered systems, ambulance support, and community-based referral networks - to improve access and timely care.

How you can support humanitarian needs in Ethiopia

Community members photographed with local society members in Ethiopia.

Photo: Aki Kolehmainen / Finnish Red Cross Society

The best way to support Canadian Red Cross programming in countries like Ethiopia is to make a donation to the International Programs Fund.

Donate to the International Programs Fund

Your gift helps us implement healthcare, water and sanitation programs and contributes to making families and communities more resilient against future disasters, climate crisis or conflict situations. Your donation allows us to help prevent, prepare for, and alleviate the suffering of those impacted by disasters and crises by responding to humanitarian needs, promoting community agencies to address humanitarian crises, strengthening local capacity, and investing in preparedness. Your support will contribute to building more resilient communities around the world.

Read more about how International Programs Fund donations have helped Canadian Red Cross deliver programming around the world.