This study alfempted to assess the livelihoods conditions o.lstreet vendors in the urban informalrnsector o.l Eastern Addis Ababa, 'Jllfegenagna' and 'hahyahulet ' areas. It also depicts andrnanalyses the major problems that vendors are facing in earning their livelihoods andrnintervention and responses by the government authorities. Livelihood approach is adopted to look at the issues to get insights on how street vendors arernmaking a living in the urban inlormal sector in Addis Ababa. It has looked at how street vendorsrnare making a living and how they have changed the access to assets as compared to theirrnprevious condition. In order to achieve the above objective, the researcher uses both quantitative and qualitativernresearch methods and the relevant data were gathered through questionnaire, interviews andrnobservations. The data collected Fom different sources were analyzed quantitatively (usingrnFequency and, percent) and qualitative textual method was deployed The study finds that, street vending is an opportunity to both rural and urban poor for making arnliving in the urban areas. The current livelihoods of street vendors, as compared with theirrnprevious occupation, have improved after gelling involved in the street vending. Access to assetsrnshows street vendors have improved their physical, social, human andjinancial capital assets asrncompared to their previous condition. Thus, street vending in Addis Ababa can be accounted asrna resource rather than a problem. However, there are conFontations between authorities and vendors over licensing, taxation andrnencroachment o.l public places and pavements. Street vending in spite of its crucial role forrnproviding employment and livelihoods to both urban and rural poor, its economic importance isrnrarely recognized either in national poverty reduction strategies or in city governance initiatives.rnUrban authorities in Addis Ababa take it as an illegal and unproductive sector, and theirrnresponse to street trading is, too often, harassment of Iraders and eviction, which causes conflictrnbetween authorilies and vendors