UN awaits full access to ‘desperate’ Tigray

• Ethiopia and Tigray decided to end hostilities on November 2.
• Only a trickle of humanitarian aid has reached Tigray since the ceasefire began.
• The UN’s World Food Program reported humanitarian deliveries to Tigray “don’t meet needs.”

One month after the ceasefire, the UN still can’t get humanitarian aid into Ethiopia’s Tigray, WHO says.

The UN’s health agency said Friday that only a trickle of help had reached the northern region following a two-year battle.

Ethiopia and Tigray decided to end hostilities on November 2, a significant diplomatic breakthrough in a war that has killed thousands, uprooted millions, and left hundreds of thousands facing hunger.

“That peace process has not yet resulted in complete access, unfettered access, and significant medical and health assistance,” Dr. Mike Ryan said.

“I’m sceptical because we’ve waited so long to help these vulnerable folks.”

The UN’s World Food Program reported humanitarian deliveries to Tigray “don’t meet needs.”

Ryan stated there were problems in militia-controlled and Eritrean-controlled portions of west Tigray.

“There are still huge portions of the country seized by Eritrean forces, for which there is no access, and very alarming reports,” he said.

Eritrean and Amhara forces fought alongside Ethiopia’s in Tigray but were not part of the ceasefire.

Tigray was isolated from the world for more than a year and faced significant pharmaceutical shortages and restricted access to energy, banking, and communications.

“It’s hard to plan a scale-up when your objectives can be limited at any moment,” Ryan said. UN bodies “welcome any halt of violence, whatever access that’s allowed.”

“Tigrayans are desperate,” he said. “They’ve gone years without adequate treatment and nutrition and need our support. No week or month. Now.”

Some WHO staff were able to enter, and a small fuel allocation may allow the organization to meet a small portion of the region’s needs.

Ethiopia’s government and Tigrayan forces met Thursday in Tigray to outline disarmament plans as part of the peace deal signed in South Africa last month, AFP reported.

Tigray forces should be disarmed within 30 days of the ceasefire signing, and Ethiopian security forces would take full control of “all federal facilities, installations, and major infrastructure” in Tigray.

Tigray officials say disarmament can’t begin until Ethiopia removes Eritrea and Amhara fighters.

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