Mereja Forum

[Revelations]

[Revelations]

[Abe Abraham]

"Unfettered/Unaccompanied access" ends with 3 MSF workers killed in Tigray

Statement25 June 2021

Staff at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) are today in mourning after receiving confirmation of the death of three of our colleagues who were working in Tigray region, Ethiopia.

Maria Hernandez, our emergency coordinator; Yohannes Halefom Reda, our assistant coordinator; and Tedros Gebremariam Gebremichael, our driver, were travelling yesterday afternoon when we lost contact with them. This morning, their vehicle was found empty and a few metres away, their lifeless bodies.

No words can truly convey all our sadness, shock and outrage against this horrific attack. Nor can words soothe the loss and suffering of their families and loved ones, to whom we relay our deepest sympathy and condolences.

We condemn this attack on our colleagues in the strongest possible terms and will be relentless in understanding what happened. Maria, Yohannes and Tedros were in Tigray providing assistance to people, and it is unthinkable that they paid for this work with their lives. We are in close contact with their families and ask for the utmost respect and privacy for the families at this incredibly difficult time.

Maria Hernandez, 35, from Madrid, Spain, started working for MSF in 2015, in the Central African Republic. She had since worked in Yemen, Mexico and Nigeria. Yohannes Halefom Reda, a coordination assistant, was 31 years old, from Ethiopia; he joined MSF in February 2021. Tedros Gebremariam Gebremichael, 31, also from Ethiopia, had been a driver for MSF since May 2021.

The death of Maria, Yohannes and Tedros is a devastating blow to all of us, both in Ethiopia and in the other countries where we operate around the world. We share a deep sense of sadness, outrage and dismay, and express our deepest condolences to their families.

[Revelations]

[Sam Ebalalehu]

This is a sad story ; it is a new reality in Tigray. The TPLF is descended to be a ragtag army which practically has no leadership. Everyone who carries guns could be an “ executioner” of his justice.
The sooner the West and International donors come to terms there is no “ liberation” movement —instead it is anarchy — that is going on in Tigray, many innocent lives will be lost, the majority of them being Tigrean themselves.

[Abe Abraham]

I like the title of the thread a lot. It describes the whole situation precisely.

[Revelations]

[Revelations]

Self contradicting statement and unrealistic request. Why would anyone insist to do more of the same which resulted in the death of the 3 MSF workers dead? If you care about the safety of humanitarian orgs workers safety, request the government to provide protection.

The Government of Ethiopia ultimately bears full responsibility for ensuring the safety of humanitarian workers and free and unhindered access to humanitarian assistance.