A kind United Nations (United Nations) aid organizations have been accused by Ethiopia of launching propaganda activities against them during the eight-month conflict and humanitarian crisis in the Tigray region of the country.
According to the Associated Press, people in the Tigray area of Ethiopia are starving as fighting between the Tigray fighters and the Ethiopian and Eritrean troops continues. Humanitarian aid organizations, such as the United Nations World Food Program (WFP), have been working hard to help the region. Redwan Hussein, spokesperson for the Tigray Emergency Task Force, said that aid groups were “playing a destructive role” but did not specify which groups they were.
“(They) are not coordinating aid, but extensively coordinating propaganda activities from a distance to harass and slander the Ethiopian government,” Hussein said.
The pro-government Ethiopian news agency ESAT News reported that the World Food Program supported the Tigray fighters on the broadcast. The agency responded to this allegation on Thursday.
“WFP strictly adheres to the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and business independence in Ethiopia and other parts of the world,” WFP said.
For more reports from the Associated Press, please see below.
Eduardo Sotras/AFP via Getty Images
The Ethiopian government accused humanitarian aid groups working in the war-stricken Tigray area of ”arming” Tigray fighters and threatened to stop some groups from operating there.
These allegations reflect the latest friction between the Ethiopian government and aid groups, which for months have sought unrestricted access to the largely cut-off Tigray area, where dozens of people have starved to death.
Redwan also stated that if humanitarian workers do not “limit their activities to aid and humanitarian issues,” the Ethiopian government may “reconsider cooperation agreements with some of them.”
“The priority of the World Food Programme is to provide emergency food assistance to vulnerable and hungry communities,” the agency said.
The Tigray army regained control of most of the region last month, including the regional capital of Mekele, while the Ethiopian army retreated and the government declared a unilateral ceasefire.
Although the Ethiopian government stated that the ceasefire was based on humanitarian reasons, aid groups stated that access was still severely restricted. The United States and European Union Compare this situation to a “siege”. Telephones, internet and electricity have been cut off in most parts of the area.
The rescue truck fleet was unable to enter the area for 10 days. The World Food Program stated that 50 trucks carrying 900 meters of food and other aid materials arrived in the capital of Tigray on Monday, but warned: “If we are to reverse the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the region, we need 100 trucks. Trucks travel in half of any day.”
The Ethiopian government has denied allegations that it prevented assistance to Tigray and stated that humanitarian flights have been approved to Mecle and Shire, subject to cargo inspections. At the same time, Prime Minister Abi Ahmed claimed that Tigray “has no hunger.”
On Wednesday, Abiy seemed to hint that the ceasefire was over. He urged Ethiopians to “repel” attacks on “enemies inside and outside.” His spokeswoman Billene Seyoum (Billene Seyoum) did not comment.
This week, Tigray fighters fought again in the south and west of Tigray with troops claiming that the land belongs to them in the neighbouring Amhara region. Amhara politicians called on young people to join the fight.
The Tigray fighters regarded the ceasefire as a “joke” and demanded a suspension of fighting, including the restoration of basic services to the area.
