Africa-Press-Ethiopia<\/p>\n
Addis Abeba, April 15\/2021 \u2013 Mark Lowcock, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, has today delivered a grim assessment on the humanitarian crisis in Tigray to members of the UN Security Council at a closed door meeting requested by the US under Any other Business (AOB).<\/p>\n
In his remarks seen by Addis Standard, Mr. Lowcock revealed that since he last briefed the Council \u201cjust over a month ago, the humanitarian situation in Tigray has deteriorated.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be very clear: the conflict is not over and things are not improving. Without a ceasefire, this already-grave humanitarian crisis is only going to get a lot worse,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI THEN RECEIVED A REPORT JUST THIS MORNING OF 150 PEOPLE DYING FROM HUNGER IN OFLA WOREDA- JUST SOUTH OF MEKELLE.\u201d<\/p>\n
MR LOWCOCK
\nHis office has received the first report this week of four internally displaced people dying from hunger, he said. \u201cI then received a report just this morning of 150 people dying from hunger in Ofla woreda- just south of Mekelle. This should alarm us all. It is a sign of what lies ahead if more action is not taken. Starvation as a weapon of war is a violation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite hopes that \u201cthings would improve after Prime Minister Abiy\u2019s announcement in late March that Eritrean Defense Force soldiers would leave Tigray\u2026neither the UN nor any of the humanitarian agencies we work with have seen proof of Eritrean withdrawal.\u201d<\/p>\n
The announcement \u201cwas a positive step towards reducing humanitarian suffering and winding down the conflict, given widespread and corroborated reports of Eritrean culpability in massacres and killings, including some committed in churches,\u201d<\/p>\n
Instead, he said, they have \u201cheard some reports of Eritrean soldiers now wearing Ethiopian Defense Force uniforms.\u201d And \u201cregardless of uniform or insignia, humanitarian staff continue to report new atrocities which they say are being committed by Eritrean Defense Forces.\u201d<\/p>\n
The main access challenge now is \u201cfighting and associated denial of access. Active hostilities are making the delivery of the response unpredictable.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cERITREAN FORCES HAVE ALSO BLOCKED THE MOVEMENT OF HUMANITARIAN STAFF ON THAT ROAD TRYING TO DELIVER URGENT SUPPORT TO CHILDREN WITH SEVERE ACUTE MALNUTRITION.\u201d<\/p>\n
MR LOWCOCK
\nMr Lowcock cited as example the crucial road running west from Adigrat to Shire, and it \u201chas become nearly impassable in the last two weeks due to fighting and blockages.\u201d Similarly, the main road connecting Mekelle to Adigrat \u201chas been inaccessible in recent days due to active conflict. Transport of humanitarian relief between Mekelle and Shire, now hosting many IDPs, has therefore not been possible.<\/p>\n
There is an alternative route between Mekelle and Shire, he said \u201cbut in the last few days, Eritrean forces have also blocked the movement of humanitarian staff on that road trying to deliver urgent support to children with severe acute malnutrition. We suspect the reason for the denial of access is that the children are in an area currently controlled by the TPLF. Again, preventing them from receiving help is a violation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIN WESTERN TIGRAY, AMHARA AUTHORITIES ARE BLOCKING HUMANITARIAN ACCESS TO THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FLEEING.\u201d<\/p>\n
MR LOWCOCK
\nBut the Eritreans are not the sole actors,according to the top There are reports of civilians being attacked and driven from their homes in western Tigray by Amhara militias, and Amhara authorities are restricting access to those people.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Western Tigray, Amhara authorities are blocking humanitarian access to the hundreds of thousands of people fleeing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Lowcock\u2019s briefing also contains atrocious accounts of sexual violence against women mentioning one such specific account of a survivor\u2019s story. \u201cAn internally displaced woman who recently arrived in Shire explained that when conflict began in her town, she fled and hid in the forest for six days with her family. While hiding, she gave birth. Her baby died a few days later \u2013at the same time that her husband was also killed. When she resumed her journey, she met four Eritrean soldiers who raped her in front of the rest of her children throughout the night and into the following day.\u201d AS<\/p>\n
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Africa-Press-Ethiopia Addis Abeba, April 15\/2021 \u2013 Mark Lowcock, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, has today delivered a grim assessment on the humanitarian crisis in Tigray to members of the UN Security Council at a closed door meeting requested by the US under Any other Business (AOB). In his remarks seen by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":4355,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,12],"tags":[241,112],"class_list":["post-4352","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-africa-press-ethiopia","tag-un"],"yoast_head":"\n