‘COLOUR OF SKIN’ MAY BE WHY TIGRAY CRISIS NOT GETTING ATTENTION: WHO CHIEF SAYS

Wed 17 August 2022:

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization, has indicated that racism is to blame for the lack of concern given by the world community to the situation of people in Ethiopia’s war-torn Tigray area.

Calling it the “worst humanitarian crisis in the world”, with 6 million people unable to access basic services, Tedros questioned in an emotional appeal why the situation is not getting the same attention as the Ukraine conflict.

“Maybe the reason is the colour of the skin of the people,” Tedros, who is from Tigray, told a virtual media briefing on Wednesday. In April this year at a briefing, he questioned whether “black and white lives” in emergencies worldwide are given equal attention.

WHO emergencies director Mike Ryan also hit out at an apparent shortage of concern about the drought and famine unfolding in the Horn of Africa, and the ensuing health crisis.

“No one seems to give a damn about what’s happening in the Horn of Africa,” said Ryan, speaking at a virtual media briefing on Wednesday.

The WHO requested $123.7 million to address the health issues driven on by the region’s rising malnutrition, where 200 million people lived and millions go without food.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

TWITTER (CLICK HERE)
https://twitter.com/IpIndependent