Peace Minister Says Humanitarian Aid must be Provided to all Victims Unconditionally

Addis Ababa September 15/2021 (ENA) Minister of Peace, Muferiat Kamil said humanitarian support is a service that must be provided to all victims without any conditions.

The Minister made the remark during her meeting on Tuesday with representatives of the United Nations and other international organizations involved in the coordination and delivery of humanitarian assistance in the northern part of the country.

It is to be recalled that the government of Ethiopia has been exerting all its effort to provide humanitarian support to the people in Tigray affected by the ongoing provocative acts of the terrorist TPLF.

The government had also declared unilateral humanitarian ceasefire with a view to facilitate a smooth flow of humanitarian support in the region.

However, following the unilateral humanitarian ceasefire an estimated 4.5 million Ethiopians have been affected due to the invasion of the terrorist TPLF in Amhara and Afar regions too.  

During her discussion with representatives of International Organizations, Mufariat  said more than 550,000 people have recently been displaced from their homes, in addition to those already in the camps as a result of the TPLF's desire to expand its crackdown on innocent people.

Despite that the United Nations and other international humanitarian organizations in Amhara and Afar states have a limited amount of assistances; she said adding that it is imperative to expand their support to the two regions.

“Like in Tigray region, our people in the Amhara and Afar regions have been affected, displaced from their homes and several infrastructures are destroyed.”

The Minister urged the international humanitarian organizations to pay adequate attention to people affected by the continued heinous attacks of the terrorist TPLF in Afar and Amhara regions of Ethiopia like the devotion they have been demonstrating to address the humanitarian crisis in Tigray despite the existing challenges.  

The organizations have also the moral and other responsibilities to adhere to the humanitarian aid values to which they are established for by serving all.  

These organizations have also the obligation to aware the international community about TPLF's attempt to using famine as a weapon of war by deliberately obstructing the smooth flow of aid to the region.  

She also urged the pertinent organizations to make sure that the trucks that had entered in Tigray loaded with humanitarian aid, are returned timely from the region.

Currently, the government's priority locations in North Wollo, Waghimra and North Gondar Zones of Amhara region  need special attention, she underlined.

She further stated that  emergency coordination centers have already been opened in Bahir Dar, Dessie, Gondar as well as Semera towns and experts have been assigned to facilitate the delivery of aid. 

Due to the efforts of the Ministry and the National Disaster Risk Management Commission, a small number of  humanitarian organizations have entered the region and started distributing aid  but this is not enough, the minister noted. 

She also called on all humanitarian organizations to work along with the government of Ethiopia to help the people affected due to the conflict.