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Addis Ababa (ICRC) – A day after the clashes in the state capital of Tigray, Mekelle, local hospitals and health facilities are running dangerously low on medical supplies to care for the wounded, as well as other needs and conditions medical on the rise.
Ambulances managed by the Ethiopian Red Cross (ERCS) have been transporting injured and deceased people to Ayder Reference Hospital in Mekelle.
Staff from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) visited Ayder’s referral hospital yesterday and found that approximately 80 percent of the patients were injured. The influx of injuries forced the hospital to suspend many other medical services so that limited staff and resources could be dedicated to emergency medical care.
“The hospital is running dangerously low on stitches, antibiotics, blood thinners, painkillers and even gloves,” said Maria Soledad, ICRC head of operations in Ethiopia, who visited the Ayder referral hospital and is currently in Mekelle. “The influx of injured comes more than three weeks after the supply chains in Mekelle were disrupted. We need to ensure that healthcare workers have the supplies and conditions they need to carry out their life-saving work.” .
The hospital also lacks body bags for the dead. Food supplies are also in short supply, especially affecting those recovering from surgery and requiring specific nutritional needs.
Until now, ICRC and ERCS cars and ambulances have been able to travel through Mekelle to evacuate the wounded and deceased and visit medical facilities. The ICRC is working with the authorities to expedite the dispatch of aid, including medical supplies, to Mekelle.
“The situation in Mekelle today is calm and we hope to receive urgently needed assistance soon,” said Maria Soledad. “The Ayder Referral Hospital staff is doing what they can with extremely limited resources, but they need urgent support.”
At the same time, some 1,000 Eritrean refugees have reportedly arrived in Mekelle from refugee camps around Shire. Many go to the ICRC sub-delegation in Mekelle in search of food and other support. They all depend on humanitarian assistance and supply chain disruptions in Mekelle make it difficult to meet these needs today.
“Interviews with Mekelle staff are not currently possible. We will continue to share as much information as possible about the situation in Tigray.”
For more information contact:
Aurélie Lachant, ICRC Geneva, [email protected], +44 79 244 64 05
Crystal Wells, ICRC Nairobi, [email protected], +254716897265
or visit our website: www.icrc.org
To preview and download the latest ICRC video footage in broadcast quality, go to
www.icrcvideonewsroom.org
To find out what the ICRC is doing to end attacks on medical personnel and patients, visit
https://healthcareindanger.org/
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