UNSC Accuses Ethiopia of Hindering Delivery of Relief in Tigray

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has accused Ethiopia of hindering the delivery of humanitarian relief in Tigray.

The council issued a statement today morning says that the Ethiopian authorities lag at facilitating the mission of the international relief teams that work to deliver aids to the population of Tigray.

The statement stressed that the population of Tigray has suffered from complicated crises due to the conflict that erupted there in November 2020.

The council urges the Ethiopian government to show goodwill in cooperating with the international efforts to ease the severe shortage of food in the province.

It is worth noting that the World Food Program (WFP) is working to ensure food for about four million people in Tigray.

The UN Security Council condemned violence in Tigray.

A convey comprising 50 trucks boarding 900 tons of foodstuffs,  was sent by the WFP, arrived in Mekelle, the regional capital of Tigray on Monday.

Thomson Bihairy, coordinator of the international in Tigray, said that the available supplies aren’t sufficient to provide food to 200 thousand displaced people every week.

He warned that the relief convoys were stopped and inspected thoroughly by the government troops, revealing that the Ethiopian forces installed ten checkpoints on the road of relief up to Mekelle.

Thomson indicated that checkpoints hamper delivering aids that keep the lives of the hundred thousands of people in the province.

The UN estimated that Tigray’s population needs $ 176 million urgently and entreated the donors to raise that amount immediately.

The UN also pointed out that clashes between the government forces and militants of the Tigray People's Liberation Front devastated the health infrastructure in the province.

Crews affiliated with the World Health Organization (WHO) cooperate with the UN to rehabilitate the health institutions in Tigray.

On the other hand, Kristen Lindmeier, spokeswoman of the WHO, urged the international community to raise $ 1.9 million to confront malaria in Tigray.