UN CHIEF EXTREMELY CONCERNED BY ESCALATION OF VIOLENCE IN ETHIOPIA

Wed 03 November 2021:

The recent escalation of violence in Ethiopia, as well as the country’s declaration of a state of emergency, have alarmed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

“The stability of Ethiopia and the wider region is at risk,” his spokeswoman said in a statement released Tuesday afternoon.

The UN chief underlined his plea for an urgent halt to hostilities and unrestricted humanitarian access to the restive northern regions in order to deliver critical aid.

“An inclusive national dialogue to resolve this crisis and and create the foundation for peace and stability throughout the country,” Guterres added.

On Twitter, Undersecretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo echoed this sentiment.

According to her, “the possible consequences of a spiraling conflict on the country and the region are frightening to contemplate, but it’s not too late to choose dialogue.”

“Silence the guns. Now, before more needless death and destruction,” she added.

The overall situation in Northern Ethiopia “remains unpredictable, volatile, and highly tense,” according to the latest statement from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), released on Monday.

Since early August, most humanitarian partners have restricted or suspended their efforts in Tigray due to a lack of fuel for humanitarian operations. In addition, goods, cash, financial services, and communications are all in short supply.

No supply convoys have entered Tigray since Oct. 18. As a result, Tigray’s nutrition response for children and women has dropped by at least 50%.

The humanitarian situation in Tigray, Afar, and Amhara continues to worsen as the conflict spreads.

The fighting is also delaying aid from being delivered and causing relocation, livelihood disruption, and food shortages.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops into the northern Tigray region on 3 November last year, to detain and disarm the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, in response, he said, to the group’s attacks on army camps.

The 2019 Nobel Peace laureate promised a swift victory, but by late June the rebels had regrouped and retaken most of Tigray.

Thousands are feared killed in the north, amidst allegations of widespread human rights abuses on all sides, with more than two million forced to flee their homes.

Over the past few months, humanitarian needs have grown, amid killings, looting and destruction of health centres and farming infrastructure, including irrigation systems that are vital to the production effort.

Acute food insecurity is affecting up to 7 million people throughout Ethiopia.

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