IOM PRESS RELEASE

A new IOM programme will reach out to the Ethiopian diaspora to assist those eager to share their knowledge and skills to contribute to the development of their country of origin. The IOM office in Addis Ababa recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ethiopian Expatriates Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to begin the four year programme "Migration for Development in Ethiopia" or MIDEth, designed to contribute to strengthening the government's institutional capacities for the mobilization and utilization of human, financial and other resources of the Ethiopian diaspora, with a particular focus on the health, education and water and sanitation sectors. The programme will also enhance the institutional capacities of the private sector, NGOs, grass-root communities, and civil society and foster stronger private-public sector partnerships which will strengthen the confidence-building process between the Ethiopian Government and the diaspora. Thousands of African professionals, including medical doctors, nurses, accountants, engineers, managers, and teachers leave Africa each year. The main reason for their departure is to improve their living conditions, either by pursuing studies or by seeking better-paying jobs. Others leave their countries fleeing insecurity and/or unstable political and socio-economic conditions. The resulting brain drain heightens the dependency of African economies by compelling them to resort to costly foreign expertise in many areas, which in turn creates a widening vicious circle. MIDEth will assist 200 Ethiopian professionals in the diaspora to share their skills through; virtual/ tele-work or satellite based technology systems (tele-learning, tele-teaching and tele-medicine); sequenced/repeated visits; permanent relocation; investments for small and medium-scale community investments; as well as policy, advocacy and transfer of medical equipment, facilities and literature: "MIDEth is a four year programme with a total budget of US $ 4,487,700. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has provided IOM with half a million US dollars for the first year, but we need donors to come forward and pledge the remaining amount so that this programme can fully succeed. We are confident that there are hundreds, even thousands, of skilled Ethiopians living overseas who are eager to help their country," explains IOM's Chief of Mission in Addis Ababa, Charles Kwenin. It is estimated that 1.5 million Ethiopians are in the diaspora, the majority in the United States, Canada, Sweden, United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands and the Gulf States. MIDEth will benefit from IOM's long experience in the Return of Qualified African Nationals (RQAN),and is part of IOM's Migration for Development in Africa (MIDA) which helps to mobilize competencies acquired by African nationals abroad to benefit Africa's development and to assist in strengthening the institutional capacities of African governments to manage and realize their development goals