The UK's Department for International Development (DFID) has said the UK will continue its support to help Ethiopia continue its development and expand access to basic services.

The Head of DFID in Ethiopia, Melanie Robinson, said that the UK's development program in Ethiopia was its largest in the world, and the overall UK aid program in Ethiopia was currently running at 300 million pounds, six times larger than it was in 2005. She said UK has been undertaking various development activities to support Ethiopia's efforts towards lifting citizens from poverty, with an outlay of US$1.3 billion.

The UK's priority areas are helping to expand access to basic services such as health, education, water and agriculture, and last year alone, the UK supported nearly four million people through the Productive Safety Net Program. Ms. Robinson said the

UK's development assistance to Ethiopia was based on the country's commitment to end poverty, and over the next couple of years she expected 800,000 people to be lifted out of poverty through the development activities assisted by the UK. This support would also enable two million school children to stay in schools and 500,000 mothers to give birth safely in health institutions. She also said nearly nine million more people would benefit from health and safe water facilities during the reported period.