Terrorist TPLF Accountable for Humanitarian Crisis in Tigray

September 8, 2021

ADDIS ABABA – Terrorist TPLF group is accountable for current humanitarian situation in Tigray as the government is not there, the Ministry of Peace said.

Briefing journalists on Monday, Minister of Peace Muferiyat Kamil said that the terrorist TPLF would be forced to take the blame for a given catastrophe in Tigray state by law as the federal government withdraw its forces from the state having declared unilateral humanitarian ceasefire over two months ago.

Launching repeated attacks in Amhara and Afara States, the group has been blocking humanitarian corridors not to access humanitarian assistance in Tigray. In both states, over four million people have been affected and five hundred thousand displaced. As a result, the government is trying to bring more partners to fill the gap, she said.

Food and non food items including human resource, fuel as well as cash money transporting to the state. Till now, 100 million Ethiopian Birr transported by thirty organizations which allowed to make two flights per week. In each flight each organization allowed to take up to two million Birr.

After the unilateral ceasefire decision, the government had transported 759 ,000 liters of fuel apart from 14, 000 liters of fuel before the ceasefire. As the government has no structure there for the time being, it wants to make sure amount of fuel is serving its purpose, she said.

As to Minister, there is an agreed guideline with the humanitarian organizations operating in Tigray. Some of them are operating contrary to their mission, set guidelines as well as supporting terrorist TPLF. They are responsible along with TPLF. Actions have been taken to correct them, she added.

To ease aid delivery, the government tried to facilitate in terms of checkpoints. It brought two cargo scanning machines and minimized seven checkpoints to two. This shows the continuous efforts of the government in facilitating those hurdles.

Moreover, it is closely working with Afar and Amhara States to access humanitarian assistance in Tigray, but the terrorist TPLF has been creating havoc on the checkpoints or the humanitarian corridors by frequently attacking civilians living in Amhara and Afar States. Now, the only option the government has is the Afar corridor. It wasn’t only Afar state that was ready for humanitarian supply, but there were three corridors in Amhara State.

However, the terrorist group has blocked these corridors. This is the choice the TPLF has made. It has no moral responsibility to blame the government. The inherent nature of the terrorist group is hunger as an instrument of war, not the government. The background and its history prove it.

The rebel group has chased 13 truck drivers who went to Tigray to transport the aid. Due to security fears for drivers, they refrained from going there or prefer to stay at Semera, Capital of Afar, she noted.

BY TSEGAYE TILAHUN

The Ethiopian Herald  8  September  2021