The United Nations still cannot get unfettered access to bring humanitarian aid into Ethiopia's war-torn northern Tigray
Posted: 03 Dec 2022, 22:24
AFP
UN anxious for unfettered aid access to Tigray
The United Nations still cannot get unfettered access to bring humanitarian aid into Ethiopia's war-torn northern Tigray region, one month after the ceasefire, the World Health Organization said Friday.
The UN's health agency said just a trickle of aid had managed to get into Tigray, which is in the grip of a humanitarian crisis after a two-year conflict.
Restoring aid deliveries to Tigray was a key part of an agreement signed on November 2 to end a war that has killed untold numbers of people.
"That peace process has not yet resulted in the kinds of full access, unfettered access and the massive scale-up of medical and health assistance that the people of Tigray need," WHO emergencies chief Michael Ryan told a press conference.
"I remain cynical on that front because we've been a long time waiting to get access to these desperate people."
Tigray was isolated from the world for over a year, and faced severe shortages of medicines and limited access to electricity, banking and communications -- services that need restoring for relief logistics operations to function.
"It's really hard to plan a scale-up when at every moment you can have your ambitions curtailed," Ryan lamented.
"The UN system is really anxious to scale up our operations.
"We welcome any cessation of violence, any access that's given.
"But the people in Tigray are desperate. They've been years now without access to proper healthcare and nutrition and they need our help now. Not next week, not next month. Now."
He said some WHO staff had been able to go in, while a small fuel allocation might allow the organisation to service a tiny percentage of the needs in the region.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/un-anxi ... 21272.html
UN anxious for unfettered aid access to Tigray
The United Nations still cannot get unfettered access to bring humanitarian aid into Ethiopia's war-torn northern Tigray region, one month after the ceasefire, the World Health Organization said Friday.
The UN's health agency said just a trickle of aid had managed to get into Tigray, which is in the grip of a humanitarian crisis after a two-year conflict.
Restoring aid deliveries to Tigray was a key part of an agreement signed on November 2 to end a war that has killed untold numbers of people.
"That peace process has not yet resulted in the kinds of full access, unfettered access and the massive scale-up of medical and health assistance that the people of Tigray need," WHO emergencies chief Michael Ryan told a press conference.
"I remain cynical on that front because we've been a long time waiting to get access to these desperate people."
Tigray was isolated from the world for over a year, and faced severe shortages of medicines and limited access to electricity, banking and communications -- services that need restoring for relief logistics operations to function.
"It's really hard to plan a scale-up when at every moment you can have your ambitions curtailed," Ryan lamented.
"The UN system is really anxious to scale up our operations.
"We welcome any cessation of violence, any access that's given.
"But the people in Tigray are desperate. They've been years now without access to proper healthcare and nutrition and they need our help now. Not next week, not next month. Now."
He said some WHO staff had been able to go in, while a small fuel allocation might allow the organisation to service a tiny percentage of the needs in the region.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/un-anxi ... 21272.html