Ensuring Equity in Relief Aid for Ethiopia

Addis Ababa, September 3/2021(ENA) 

Ensuring Equity in Relief Aid for Ethiopia

BY SOLOMMON DIBABA

The war that terrorist TPLF has waged on the people of Ethiopia and its irredentist expansion into other regions of the country has resulted in the displacement of millions of citizens in Amhara and Afar. Besides, terrorist TPLF has disrupted the normal farming season in these regions by destroying crops on fields and by forcing millions of citizens to stop their farming activities and take up arms due to the unprecedented insecurity cause by terrorist TPLF in the above mentioned regional states.

In addition, prior to the inhuman attack by terrorist TPLF farmers in parts of Tigray, Amhara lost huge amount of food due to the swarms of locust that plagued most of northern Ethiopia putting the livelihood of the farmers in risk. The expansion of the war by terrorist TPLF into the regions mentioned above left hundreds of thousands IDPs with no means of livelihood. The overall provocative acts being orchestrated by TPLF in these regions have affected more than 4.5 million people.

However, in response to the immediate effects of the war and along with the law enforcement measures taken the government has been supplying huge amount of food aid to citizens in Tigray by expending more than 100 billion Birr. Apart from establishing a provisional government in Tigray to coordinate the relief and rehabilitation programs, the government rehabilitated hospitals, clinics and other services that were completely destroyed by terrorist TPLF.

Furthermore, the government withdrew the ENDF from Tigray through a unilateral ceasefire in a genuine desire to ensure suitable farming season for citizens in Tigray to till their land as well as facilitate the smooth flow of humanitarian aid in the region. However, terrorist TPLF immediately exploited the situation and waged war on the three regions mentioned above triggering an unprecedented displacement of people even in the most restive rural areas of Amhara and Afar.

Upon the withdrawal of the ENDF from Tigray, terrorist TPLF conducted attacks on Afar Region with a strategy of cutting of the country from its commercial and trade lifeline to Djibouti. Even then, despite the fact that already millions of IDPs were waiting for urgent food aid, the international relief aid focused only on Tigray Region while similar scenario was visible in Amhara and Afar regions.

Despite the warning from the Ethiopian government on terrorist TPLF using relief food for its forces that was turned down by the USAID Director, A couple of days back, USAID Ethiopia Mission Director Sean Jones told media that the TPLF terrorist group has looted warehouses of the USAID. “We feel that the group is forcibly snatching aid from the victims. What we can say with certainty is that members of the group looted our aid-warehouses in areas they infiltrated. This is the fact we know.”

‘What we clearly know is TPLF soldier’s looted warehouses in all areas of the Amhara region they entered, stole vehicles and caused lots of damage on the villages. This is a matter of great concern to the victims and to us,” he added. 

It is interesting to know again that Martin Plaut, TPLF’s lobbyist has shockingly justified the looting of emergency food aid as legitimate reason despite the group is forcibly snatching aid from the victims. Plaut twitted, “I am not sure I would have used the term ‘looted’. This is a war and people are starving.” This is an interesting comment because admitting that “people are starving” when in fact the looting was conducted by terrorist TPLF forces which he indirectly admits. He was indeed and remains to be one of the key supporters of the terrorist TPLF by disseminating fake information to the world to deliberately mislead the international community about the true nature of TPLF.

Martin Plaut and other terrorist TPLF lobbyists who operate in the name of international experts such as Alex de Waal and Kjetil Tronvoll are engaged in activities to dismantle Ethiopia with the expense of the lives of people in Tigray. Those people who appear in the media as journalists and analysts clearly reflect the position of the terrorist TPLF group and they promote the terror and other evil acts of the group to destabilize Ethiopia and the horn region.

Twitting on an issue that the major global media has broadcasted, Getachew Redda, members of the terrorist group denied that any looting has taken place by terrorist TPLF forces while their paid lobbyist, Plaut justified the looting.  Getachew was trying to push his well-known method of information laundering by falsely accusing the peoples in the areas while the world is now sure that the warehouses were looted by terrorist TPLF forces.

In addition these realities about TPLF’s crimes, the issue of equity in food aid needs also to be considered here. Despite the prevailing realities show that all regions affected by the atrocities of the terrorist TPLF, the focus of some of the international community remains in Tigray.

As mentioned above, the number of people who have been seriously affected by the heinous acts of the terrorist TPLF in Amhara and Afar regions is getting worse. The need for enhanced humanitarian aid is critical not only in Tigray but also in Amhara and Afar. However, the international community has not been giving the adequate attention to Amhara and Afar. According to sources, their focus still remains in Tigray.

Especially in areas that are invaded by the terrorist group, the International Aid Organizations have not been providing aid. According to Amhara Regional state Disaster Prevention and Food Security Coordination Office an investigation team of the National Disaster Risk Management Commission and Amhara Regional State said the government has not been able to provide assistance in North Wollo areas that are invaded by terrorist TPLF.

Considering the current reality, no one can distribute aid to the affected people in North Wollo Zone except international humanitarian organizations. And yet the international organizations have not been providing the assistance against the principles they are established for.  The situation is worse in this part of the region as most of the communities here depend on food assistances provided through Safety Net programs.

Besides, the international community needs to realize that as long as terrorist TPLF drags the war into other regions of the country, the number of IDPs and needy populations will certainly grow. Unless the current rampage by terrorist TPLF is cut short, more disaster and further displacement could follow. Besides, politicizing on the relief needs of the people of Ethiopia will not help the needy in the country but will only help to embolden terrorist TPLF in its terroristic rampage.