2023-12-30 11:03:03
Authorities in the Ethiopian region of Tigray warned on Friday of an imminent famine, due to drought and the lingering effects of the war that pitted the federal government once morest this northern region of the country for two years.
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Famine is imminent in Tigray. Authorities in this region of northern Ethiopia warned on Friday (December 29) that a famine, due to drought and the lingering effects of the war with the federal government, which lasted between 2020 and 2022, threatened almost all inhabitants.
More than 91% of Tigray’s population is “at risk of famine and death”, said on X Getachew Redathe president of the region’s interim administration, calling for help from the Ethiopian government and the international community.
The Tigray leader went so far as to compare the situation to the famine of the 1980s, which left around a million dead in Ethiopia. His administration has declared an emergency in areas under its control, but has limited resources to manage the crisis, he explained.
“The Ethiopian government and the international community have done their part to silence the guns. They must now do their part to confront the impending humanitarian catastrophe,” said Getachew Reda.
“Since the signing of the Pretoria agreement, thousands of Tigrayans have already died from lack of food,” he assured, referring to the peace agreement of November 2022 which ended the war between the rebels of the region and the troops of Addis Ababa.
Food aid has been “reestablished on a limited basis”
The situation on the ground in northern Ethiopia cannot be independently verified, as media access to Tigray is restricted by the federal government.
For Getachew Reda, the risk of imminent famine is due to the effects of the war, which has caused massive displacement and the destruction of health facilities, as well as a drought followed by destructive rains. Added to these two factors this year is the temporary suspension of aid from the United States and the UN World Food Program (WFP).
In fact, USAID and the WFP interrupted all food aid to Ethiopia in June due to frequent diversions, and their deliveries are only slowly resuming.
“Although aid has been restored on a limited basis, what is reaching the needy is only a fraction of what would be needed to meet current needs,” Getachew Reda said.
In a press release published on December 22, the UN agency responsible for humanitarian coordination had already warned of the risk of a deterioration of the food situation in Tigray until May 2024.
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