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Addis Ababa / Nairobi / Geneva, February 10, 2021 – The president of the largest humanitarian network in the world has concluded a visit to the city of Mekele in Ethiopia, in the Tigray region, with a call for a greater humanitarian response to better meet the needs of those affected by the recent fighting .
At the end of his five-day visit to Ethiopia, Francesco Rocca, President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said:
“I am very concerned about the conditions that I saw during my visit, including people internally displaced by the fighting, especially children, their mothers and the elderly. It was clear to me that the people of Tigray need much more support than they currently receive.
“While there have been positive announcements from a small number of aid organizations in the past few days in this regard, I hope that more help can begin to arrive on a consistent basis. We need to expand humanitarian operations. We need to do much more to provide help to those who desperately need it. “
In particular, President Rocca expressed concern about the impact of the fighting on medical services, noting that the hospitals he visited lacked even basic medical supplies. He also shared the serious concerns raised by local health officials about rising levels of severe malnutrition.
An Ethiopian Red Cross assessment found that more than 2.6 million people in Tigray and the adjacent regions of Amhara, Afar, Benishangul-Gumuz and SNNPR are in need of humanitarian assistance. According to the Ethiopian Red Cross, the main needs of the affected people in Tigray include food and basic relief items, water and sanitation, medical supplies and technical assistance for mobile clinics.
Mr. Rocca also spoke of the aggravated impact that the Tigray crisis has had on other vulnerabilities in Ethiopia, as well as in neighboring countries. As of the end of January 2021, an estimated 200,000 people had been internally displaced in Ethiopia along with 60,000 people who had fled to Sudan. Additionally, there are at least 230 Ethiopian refugees in Djibouti.
Mr. Rocca also mentioned the large number of humanitarian cases that Ethiopia and neighboring countries were already facing, and the consequent need for coordinated and comprehensive action by aid organizations:
“The Horn of Africa faces multiple chronic crises, including widespread and severe food insecurity, and massive locust swarms that have contributed to further crop losses..
“The region is also dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic which, among other impacts, has led to the closure of schools. More than 6.4 million children now lack school meals and this has significantly exacerbated malnutrition. “
In response to the situation in Ethiopia and neighboring countries, the International Federation, the Ethiopian Red Cross, the Sudanese Red Crescent and the Djibouti Red Crescent Society are jointly requesting 27 million Swiss francs. This funding will enable Red Cross Red Crescent volunteers and staff to assist 660,000 people, including Ethiopians who are internally displaced and those who have fled to Sudan and Djibouti.
The operation will focus on helping families maintain their livelihoods and meet their basic needs, providing safe water and improved sanitation facilities, providing health and psychosocial support services, and efforts to strengthen local capacities. Red Cross and Red Crescent teams to prepare to respond to future emergencies.
