Who is obstructing the delivery of food aid to citizens in Tigray and why?

Staff Writer

The decision made by the Ethiopian House of Peoples’ Representative (HPR) in designating the TPLF/ Shene group as a terrorist organization was certainly not a political decision. It was based on tangible evidences that fulfil the international legal standards of designating a group or groups of organizations as a terrorist organization. Between 1997 -2021, the US has registered more than 55 organizations as terrorist organization based on US laws and regulations pertaining to the legal definition of terrorism in foreign lands.

As the result of the fact that terrorist TPLF has continued to engage in terrorist activities to date, the HPR has designated this organization as terrorist based on the national law on terrorism and basic standards of designating the organization as a terrorist.

This terrorist organization which is now allied with Shene has expanded its terrorist war deep in the Amhara Region and Afar Regional State as well as other areas while also conducting proxy attacks on innocent citizens in Oromia, SNNPR.

In its wanton and inhuman attacks on the officers and members of the Northern Command of the Ethiopian army it committed genocide, forcing the Ethiopian government to engage in law enforcement campaign. In response to the international call for providing smooth flow of relief supplies which supplemented 30 percent of the relief inputs, the government withdrew the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) from Tigray in unilateral declaration of ceasefire to facilitate for peaceful farming season for the farmers in Tigray Region and for peaceful transmission of food aid to the needy citizens in the region.

However, instead of supplementing to the peaceful efforts of the government, the terrorist organization a massive war on the peoples and government of Ethiopia and obstructed the smooth transition of food aid to the needy in Tigray by blocking the transport route and further expanding the war into Afar Region with a goal of cutting off the country from the lifeline of trade via Port of Djibouti.

Through its propaganda network of falsehood terrorist TPLF spread false news stating that the Ethiopian Government is deliberately obstructing the inflow of relief aid. In fact some western nationsa and international organization accused the Ethiopia government for ethnic cleansing and using food aid as a weapon.

Despite the efforts made by the Ethiopian Government in explaining the facts and the objective reality pertaining to the progress in relief supplies, the international community continued to blame the Ethiopian Government for obstructing relief supplies while remaining dead silent in the event of the genocide terrorist TPLF conducted in Afar killing more than 200 citizens 107 of which were children sheltered in a clinic. The terrorist organization bombarded a warehouse in which food is stored to be distributed for the IDPs in the region.

Although the Ethiopian government has notified the international community that those terrorist combatants have been using the humanitarian aid for their distructive activities, now the USAID Mission Country Director for Ethiopia, Mr. Van Jones, has revealed the incontestable truth. Speaking to journalists on ETV on the 25^th of August, the director said

 “What we know clearly now is that the TPLF soldiers have broken into food and other materials warehouse in all areas of Amhara region, they have stolen cars and destroyed many villages. This is very concern for us and the beneficiaries of food aid”

If this is not the obstruction of food aid urgently needed by the beneficiaries what else could it be?

The international community and WFP are all well aware of the fact that the Ethiopian government is closely working with all concerned to facilitate easy access of food for citizens in Tigray. The government had double task of ensuring peace and security in the Afar Regions by repeatedly repulsing the fascistic actions of terrorist TPLF in the region. Nonetheless it is to be noted that effective July 5, 2021, the government has issued permit for WFP to transport food by air.

In a press briefing he gave to resident representatives of the embassies here in Addis Ababa, Foreign Affairs State Minister Redwan Hussien has disclosed that “some aid agencies have been using the provision of aid as a cover up for arming the rebel group…”

In this regard the recently measure taken by the government of Ethiopia to suspend three international NGOs for breaching rules of the nation and operating outside of their mandate could be cited as a concrete evidence.

The international community and all humanitarian organizations are gradually realizing that TPLF is the only culprit in the case of preventing the inflow of relief food to Tigray. The government has reduced the number of checkpoints from 7 to only 3 to further facilitate swift transport of food to needy citizens in Tigray. While this is the reality on the ground there is no point in falsely accusing the government for obstructing food aid and politicizing on food aid is regrettable.