Tigray: Hunger, Humanitarian Crisis Looming in the Region — Reports

Humanitarian organizations estimate 4.5 million people in Tigray region (nearly the entire population) are facing the danger of starvation  

Borkena

January 18, 2021 

BBC news reported on Monday that there is a looming hunger crisis in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. It cited what it called a leaked copy of notes from a meeting of Humanitarian workers to report that “Hundreds of thousands might starve to death.”

The United Nations three days ago reported that the humanitarian situation in Tigray is “dire.” 

The statement it released said that “… the humanitarian situation of the population is dire after nearly two and half months of fighting. With supply routes cut-off and the harvest season impacted by the conflict, reports indicate that food is not available or is extremely limited in markets, posing increased risks of malnutrition.” 

Some activists from the Tigray region are calling for help to tackle the humanitarian crisis in the region. Amdom Gebreslasie is an activist and a member of Arena Tigray party. 

He wrote on his Facebook on Sunday that over 4.5 million people in the region are affected by the war and need emergency aid. “Let us help the people of Tigray,” he said. Food, medicine and other goods, he said. Regional leaders, people in different cities and Ethiopian in the diaspora are expected to support the people of Tigray — he said in his message.  Tigary is said to have about five million people. 

There has been a military operation in the region since November 4. Government said that the major law enforcement operation in the region was completed when the Ethiopian Defense Force controlled Mekelle in early December. However, there are reports, based on narrative from Humanitarian organizations,  of pockets of resistance in different parts of the region — which the government did not confirm. 

The region’s health office disclosed last week that the security situation has complicated the delivery of medicine to the region.  

Meanwhile, the Ethiopian Disaster Management Commission on Monday announced that it has delivered about five hundred quintals of nutritional food and medicine to shire and its region. It said that it used an Ethiopian Air force cargo plane to deliver it. Furthermore, it said that so far 1.8 million people have been supported with food aid in the region.