NDRMC Urges Int’l Community to Support Recovery, Rehabilitation efforts In Northern Part of Ethiopia

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Addis Ababa, December 09, 2021 (ENA) National Disaster Risk Management Commission (NDRMC) has urged the international community to support the recovery and rehabilitation efforts in the northern part of Ethiopia.

Commissioners for NDRMC, Mitiku Kassa and UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Catherine Sozi gave press briefing today to update on the humanitarian operations in Northern Ethiopia.

During the occasion Commissioner Mitiku said the international community failed to condemn TPLF for its destructive acts by rejecting the unilateral humanitarian ceasefire declared by the government noting that TPLF has manipulated the declaration and invaded Amhara and Afar regions.      

This invasion resulted in displacement of 1.8 million people and leaving 8.3 million people to challenges of food insecurity, he added.     

Furthermore, the terrorist group committed mass killings, looted and destroyed private and public infrastructures as well as committed several human rights violations.

The international community chose silent while North wollo, North Gonder and Wag Hemra people deprived of humanitarian aid for more than five months he said, adding they failed to denounce the TPLF that has been using starvation as weapon of war.        

Therefore, "the government of Ethiopia urges international community to support the response to recovery and rehabilitation efforts in northern part of the country and give due attention to 8.3 million people who are affected by the TPLF in Amhara and Afar regions," the commissioner elaborated.

He reaffirmed that the government of Ethiopia is committed to working closely with humanitarian development partners to save the livelihood and ensure implementation of recovery and rehabilitation activities in the affected areas.

Despite the efforts of the government to create a smooth flow of humanitarian assistance to Tigray region, some partners have been deliberately undermining and ignoring these unreserved efforts, the Commissioner said.

They have also been denying the real measures being undertaken by the government to boost the humanitarian assistance to the region, he added.  

Furthermore, he revealed that they some members of the international community failed to denounce the violation of international humanitarian laws and human rights abuses being deliberately committed by the terrorist TPLF.

"Since 12 July, 1,317 trucks have entered in Mekele transporting food and non-food items out of which 77 percent of the aid trucks have not been returned. The terrorist group has been using these trucks to transport soldiers to invade Amhara and Afar regions."

Moreover, since 23 November, some 203 trucks carrying around 8,800 metric tons of food and non-food items have arrived in Mekelle. All of these trucks have not returned from the region, he indicated.

Mitiku stressed the need to correct the narration on the efforts of the government of Ethiopia and efforts must be exerted to understand the reality on the ground.   

Why did the international donors and operators are reluctant to condemn  the deliberate violation being orchestrated by the group, he asked.

UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Catherine Sozi said on her part the conflict continues to drive large-scale displacement, loss of livelihoods and limited access to markets, food and basic services.

She reaffirmed that the UN, together with the humanitarian partners, remains committed to addressing these growing needs and find urgent and sustainable solutions.

“We continue to work with the authorities at the federal and regional level as well as with the communities on the ground to find solutions to these challenges to enable a continued scale-up of the humanitarian response to reach all people in need,” she stated.

Ethiopian News Agency
2023