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Gov't to Resettle 10,000 Households in Oromiya Region

The Daily Monitor (Addis Ababa)
NEWS
January 13, 2005
Posted to the web January 13, 2005

By Dagnachew Teklu
Addis Ababa
The Oromiya Regional Government has announced plans to resettle around 10,000
households in various areas of the region beginning end of January 2005.
Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission (DPPC) officials in Oromiya
region said that the households are scheduled to be resettled in various
woredas of Oromiya in the coming two months in two consecutive rounds beginning
23 January 2005.
Ato Demisse Legesse, Food Security and Oromiya DPPC Commissioner told
journalists that around 5,000 of them would be resettled in the first round to
a better selected agricultural area of the region. "In the second round another
5,000 households would be resettled in February 2005," Demissie said.
Half of them from East and West Harerghe would be resettled to Ilibabur, East
Wollega and around Jimma areas. The rest are scheduled to be resettled from
East and West Harerghe to various woredas in the Oromiya region.
The 2nd round of the resettlement program would be held from February 23 to
March 1st 2005.
"From February 8 to 23, 2005, we would hold evaluations of the first round of
the resettlement program. This evaluation would help us to identify problems
encountered during the first round program. The out come of this report would
help us to properly undertake the remaining program," he said.
Various consultations with the resetled and the recipient woredas in the region
have been conducted to avoid problems related to resettlement. Land
distribution, roads, water, veterinary and public health stations supply among
others have also been completed for the resettled.
"Representatives of the resettled have also visited resettlement areas in
various woredas of the region. Generally, the resettelrs would continue their
day to day activities with out any problems," he added.
He also indicated that priority has been given to those who were highly
affected in the drought of last season.
"This year, we have a large demand from the people to be resettled because of
the results achieved in the previous year. We are considering the peoples'
interest," he added.
"Around 88 percent of these resettled were able to be productive and get out
from food dependency. This is the major reason for the rise of demand to be
resettled under the ongoing program," Demissie added.
The ongoing resettlement program is part of the government's three year plan to
resettle 2.2 million food insecure people to remote, less populated areas at a
cost of 217 million US dollars.
The money is being mobilized by the government and donor community. There have
been complaints from donors and opposition parties and from the resettled
themselves on the living condition of resettled people stating that the new
comers were left in alien areas without shelter and any food supply. It was
also stated that the food insecure people were forced to leave their land
without their consent.

   

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