Africa-Press – Ethiopia. Addis Ababa March 26/2021 (ENA) The People of Tigray Need Bona Fide Support not Concerns on the Media
Presiding over the 11th regular session of the 6th year of round 5 of the House of Peoples Representatives, Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed responded to the questions forwarded to him by the MPs on the 23rd of March 2021.
In his response to the questions raised by the MPs in the areas of political and administrative issues, Prime Minister Abiy focused on the situation in Tigray. Regarding the concerns repeatedly voiced by the UN systems, Amnesty International, EU, Human Rights Watch he said
In the previous months, these organizations were piling up blames on the government asserting that Ethiopia prevented access for international organization to support the relief efforts in Tigray, now when the areas are completely opened to them for full access, they are not providing the necessary relief support that is in part with the relief situation in Tigray. However, the government has so far expended some 40 billion Birr towards the relief program in Tigray by establishing more than 90 distribution centers across the region.
However, the international media outlets and organizations continued to discredit government efforts on relief and rehabilitation in Tigray voicing their concerns as follows. Ethiopia is far more concerned about the human rights of its citizens and pays greater attention to their constitutionally guaranteed rights. However, international organizations continued to voice what they called their concerns. Just to mention some.
Ethiopian Government Blocking Aid in Tigray, UN Says
On March 6, VOA Quoted the UN saying that the Ethiopian government is preventing aid from reaching non-government-controlled rural areas in the Tigray region, where most of the province’s 2.3 million people in dire need of assistance are living.
Violent clashes continue in northern Ethiopia’s Tigray region three months after the government launched a military offensive on the regional capital, Mekelle. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says humanitarian conditions in the region are alarming and rapidly deteriorating.
It says millions of people are in dire need of food, water and other essential relief and services. However, it says aid workers are unable to reach most of the rural areas in Tigray, where the greatest numbers of people in need are living.
On December 6, VOA came up with news noting U.N. officials say insecurity and bureaucratic obstacles are preventing aid workers from accessing those areas. OCHA spokesman Jens Laerke says government clearances needed to move the necessary staff into Tigray have not been received.
These accusations appear to be politically motivated and do not tally with Prime Minister Abiy’s response to the questions from the MPs regarding the relief efforts in Tigray. VOA continues
“An increasing amount of humanitarian cargo has been mobilized, but without staff and access, it will not reach the people who need it the most, especially in rural areas…Access to the countryside is mostly blocked for both U.N. agencies and NGO’s (non-governmental organizations), and no humanitarian assistance is taking place in non-government-controlled areas,” said Laerke.
Laerke notes aid is available for people living in towns along the main roads from Mekelle towards the town of Shire, which are controlled by federal government forces. He says people in rural areas, where two-thirds of Tigray’s population live, are not so fortunate.
In a similar version Amnesty International filed the following report.
“According to the United Nations, 2.3 million people in Ethiopia’s Tigray region are in immediate need of life-saving assistance. But humanitarian access has been difficult due to restrictions and slow processes by Ethiopian authorities. Take action now and call on Ethiopia to immediately allow full humanitarian access to Tigray.”
After weeks of blocked access, the UN announced in November that the Ethiopian authorities agreed to allow “unimpeded, sustained and secure access” into the areas under its control in Tigray. However, access remains extremely restricted. Relief agencies need to request approval from the federal government to access the region.
While not exactly willing to come up to their international obligations, as Prime Minister Abiy has said “the peoples of Tigray will not benefit from mere concerns on Twitter but need practical and swift humanitarian support.”
The international mainstream and social media outlets still complain that Ethiopia is barring international organizations but the truth is the government has opened up the entire region for access to all humanitarian organizations who wish to support the peoples of Tigray.
Compared to the level of the need in Tigray, the current level of international support is negligible and needs to be increased. Mere concerns are not enough to feed the needy peoples of Tigray. The people of Tigray need bona fide support to overcome the challenges faced due to the conflict. Immediate and unconditional humanitarian support is what the peoples need but concerns of international community are only verbal.
