Here are this weeks' news stories for you. Please note that the links to the complete stories do expire after about a month, unless you happen to subscribe to that news service and have access to their archives.

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Ethiopia: UN Backs Mass Measles Immunization Amid Concern At New Cases

UN News Service (New York)
December 27, 2006


A mass United Nations-backed measles immunization campaign is currently underway in Ethiopia, targeting more than 5.8 million children aged under the age of 5 following growing fears earlier this year over the rise in new cases of the disease.

The article went on to state that there were more than 70 cases reported in Addis Ababa alone between March and September, 2006, and that they hope that increased immunization levels will keep this problem from growing. The complete story can be seen here: http://allafrica.com/stories/200612270355.html


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Ethiopia: Forced to Go to War - Premier

The Ethiopian Herald (Addis Ababa)

December 27, 2006

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said late Sunday that the Ethiopian people and government have no enmity whatsoever with the people of Somalia, and even with the majority of members and supporters of the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) in Somalia. The Prime Minister said the Ethiopian National Defence Forces will leave Somalia immediately after accomplishing their mission.

In his address to the Nation concerning the current situation in Somalia, From Bahir Dar, broadcast live on the Ethiopian Television and Radio, Prime Minister Meles said that the contradiction of the Ethiopian people is with the terrorist group bent on destabilizing Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa region, by holding onto the leadership of the UIC, and allying itself with anti-Ethiopian forces.

"Ethiopia's defensive measures are targeted only at this terrorist group," Meles said.

The article went on to state that Ethiopia does not wish to interfere with the legitimate UN-sanctioned government of Somalia, but rather to foil the escalating offensive launched by the extremist forces of the UIC. The complete story can be seen here: http://allafrica.com/stories/200612270575.html

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Ethiopia: Unicef, EU Launch $29 Million Partnerships On Water, Sanitation

The Ethiopian Herald (Addis Ababa)
December 27, 2006

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said more than 1.4 million Ethiopians would get clean drinking water access close to their home through a new UNICEF- European Union (EU) partnership of 29 million USD. In a press release it sent to ENA Friday, UNICEF said the ground-breaking programme would reach all states of the country in the coming five years.

UNICEF Country representative Bjorn Ljungqvist said the development partnership would bring some real changes in the coming five years. Ljungqvist said the programme would help improve children's health status through supplying the whole community with clean water.

More than 250,000 Ethiopian children die every year from preventable water and sanitation related diseases. The project will focus on getting safe drinking water in and around the schools, and is expected to improve the health of thousands of school children. The complete story can be seen here: http://allafrica.com/stories/200612270583.html