[ad_1]
When war broke out in Tigray, international humanitarian organizations involved in humanitarian activities in Ethiopia warned that the number of people in need of food and humanitarian assistance would increase.
The severe problems of the COVID-19 pandemic, massive flooding and a desert locust outbreak destroying crops, along with the ongoing war in Tigray, the project of international humanitarian organizations, will lead to a humanitarian crisis and a greater food insecurity.
International partners involved in humanitarian activities in the country, such as the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and other partners, called on Ethiopian and regional governments to avoid further crises.
Consequently, the IRC predicted, this year’s desert locust outbreak, the negative impact of climate change, including widespread flooding and the COVID-19 outbreak, continue to drive the rise in food insecurity with more than 8 million people. people in need of food assistance. This number is expected to increase to more than 11 million people in January, warned Elinor Raikes, vice president of Crisis Response, Recovery and Development.
Furthermore, “Any conflict will affect the most vulnerable the most and they cannot afford to be neglected. All parties must commit to guaranteeing the safety of these populations and respecting international law. It is absolutely imperative that growing tensions and conflicts do not impede the delivery of humanitarian aid. The needs and safety of civilians, including refugees and displaced persons, must be prioritized ”. Elinor said.
In a statement that The reporter obtained Thursday, NRC Secretary General Jan Egeland said that escalating tensions in Ethiopia threatens the “immediate” security of hundreds of thousands of people and urged the Ethiopian government to manage the possible impact of the military escalation that will intensify the crisis. humanitarian as the country is host to hundreds of thousands of refugees.
“Any increase in violence would herald further regional destabilization and a humanitarian disaster,” he warned, while the statement urged all parties to reduce tensions through dialogue and take all appropriate measures to end the military action.
According to Egeland, there are currently 1.82 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ethiopia and another 790,000 refugees seeking protection from other conflicts in the East African region. In addition, he stressed that humanitarian needs are high and resources to meet them are scarce, especially during the pandemic.
The NRC is one of the international partners actively operating in Ethiopia, helping millions of refugees that Ethiopia hosts under UNHCR and the Administration of Refugees and Returnees Authority (ARRA). Since 2011, it has provided assistance to the growing refugee population in Ethiopia. Ethiopia is currently the second-largest refugee-hosting country in Africa with 769,310 refugees. They are primarily from neighboring South Sudan, Eritrea, Sudan, and Somalia.
The Tigray region is one of the places where refugees are found, especially from Eritrea. Therefore, as the escalation intensifies, the safety of these refugees is compromised. Furthermore, since the federal and regional governments are already at war, it is unknown how the federal government agency [ARRA] will manage the refugee crisis in the future.
The reporter The attempt to request information on this issue was unsuccessful as government officials declined requests for comment on the matter.
Another organization that operates mainly in Tigray, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), for its part, said it is “extremely concerned” about the escalation of tensions and hostilities in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, where many refugees, displaced people and local communities are recovering from a year. from multiple humanitarian disasters.
IRC is working in Tigray to help 90,000 refugees in four camps with a variety of services, including clean water, sanitation, primary health care and education.
Since the escalation began on Tuesday, other regional and international agencies, including the United Nations (UN), have voiced concerns regarding the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia, while others urged both sides to refrain from further escalation.
