United Nations in Ethiopia

The Sustainable Development Goals are a call for action by all countries – poor, rich and middle-income – to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. They recognize that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and environmental protection. These are the goals the UN is working on in Ethiopia:

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24 January 2022

Tigray: Eritrean refugees ‘scared and struggling to eat’ amid aid obstacles

More than 25,000 refugees live in in Mai Aini and Adi Harush refugee camps in Tigray, where UNHCR has urged all parties to the conflict to guarantee safe passage, so that they can be relocated to the neighbouring Amhara region. “After three weeks with no access due to the security situation, UNHCR staff members managed to reach Mai Aini and Adi Harush refugee camps in the Tigray region of Ethiopia earlier this week for the first time, since the recent air strikes in and near the camps,” said Boris Cheshirkov, UNHCR spokesperson. “Our team found refugees scared and struggling to get enough to eat, lacking medicine and with little or no access to clean water.” No fuel, water, medicines The work of humanitarians has been hindered by a lack of fuel, preventing clean water from being pumped in or trucked to the camps. This has left refugees with no option but to drink from streams that are rapidly drying up, leaving them vulnerable to water-borne diseases. “Despite concerted efforts, the complete inability to move supplies into the region means that extreme hunger is an increasing concern,” Mr Cheshirkov told journalists via a virtual briefing in Geneva, adding that more than 20 people had reportedly died in the last six weeks alone, amid deteriorating conditions and in particular a lack of medicine. ‘More refugees will die’ “With food running out in the camp and no additional stocks available for distribution, refugees tell us they have resorted to selling their clothes and few belongings to try to get food,” said Mr. Cheshirkov. “More refugees will die,” he continued, “if food, medicine, fuel and other supplies cannot be immediately brought in, and if we continue to be unable to relocate refugees out of harm's way”. The development is the latest development in the armed conflict in Tigray which began on 3 November 2020 between Ethiopian national forces, Eritrean troops, Amhara forces and other militias on one side, and forces loyal to the Tigrayan People’s Liberation front on the other. Echoing the UN-wide call for all parties in Ethiopia to protect civilians and to respect everyone’s human rights and fundamental freedoms, the UNHCR Spokeperson insisted that refugees “must not be held hostage” in the conflict. Millions are desperate “The desperate situation in these camps is a stark example of the impact of the lack of access and supplies affecting millions of displaced persons and other civilians throughout the region,” he said. The development comes as UN aid coordination office, OCHA, warned that food distribution in Tigray is at its “all-time lowest”. Food stocks and fuel are almost entirely exhausted, meaning that only about 10,000 people received assistance between 6 and 12 January – a drop in the ocean compared to the estimated 9.4 million who require humanitarian food assistance in Tigray, Afar and Amhara regions, which is an increase of 2.7 million from four months ago.

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30 December 2021

Ethiopia Humanitarian Country Team visits IDPs, humanitarian response in Afar

The visit aims to reach out and engage with Afar regional leadership and community leaders on the humanitarian situation, get first-hand update on the humanitarian situation in Afar- including needs on ground and on-going response and explore ways of scaling up the response to support the regional Government in addressing humanitarian needs in the region. According to the Disaster Prevention and Food Security Programme Coordination Office (DPFSPCO), more than 1.3 million people are directly or indirectly affected by the conflict and over 376,000 persons are displaced in the region. During the visit, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Dr. Catherine Sozi, discussed with Afar Region President Awol Arba on the humanitarian situation in the region and the UN and partners' response to address the substantial unmet needs. Dr. Sozi together with the Ethiopia Humanitarian Country Team also discussed with community leaders on scaling up the humanitarian assistance in Afar to reach people in need and ensuring continued access to deliver humanitarian commodities to Tigray. The community leaders expressed their commitment to continue to facilitate humanitarian operations to affected civilians in Tigray via Semera corridor. However, they expressed their concern that the people affected by the conflict in Afar region, which serves as a transit for humanitarian cargo to Tigray, have not received adequate humanitarian support. Similarly, officials of Afar region noted that the region has already been vulnerable to a number of natural disasters and the conflict has exacerbated the suffering of the people in the region. In Afar, the EHCT visited the internally displaced people (IDPs) and activities of the UN and partners to meet the humanitarian needs of conflict affected people in two IDPs sites – Wake50 and Waranso. Over 54,000 IDPs are sheltered in Wake50 and Waranso IDP sites while the majority of the IDPs in the host community are living in Mille town. Initial priority needs of the displaced population include emergency food, water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH), emergency shelter, non-food items, primary health care services, nutrition, protection and livelihood opportunities. UN and partners’ response The UN and partners have provided humanitarian assistance to the conflict affected areas in the region. WFP is targeting 534,000 food insecure people in 14 woredas. So far 129,370 beneficiaries (24%) have received food in four woredas. Islamic Relief distributed 1,800 quintals of wheat flour; 18,000 liters of cooking oil and standard non-food items (NFIs) to 2400 households in Wake 50IDPs site in Chifra. AMREF distributed 200 quintals of wheat flour, 400 litres of cooking oil to 400 households in Asbolo-Waranso Hurmati IDP site in Mille. As to health and nutrition support, UNICEF provided funding for capacity building of health professionals on Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) management, mass mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) screening for children and pregnant and lactating women (PLW), last-mile transport support to the woredas, food for caretakers, and coordination. WFP has provided blanket supplementary feeding to nearly 78,000 (nearly 60,000 children under 5 and 18,000 pregnant and lactating women) in seven conflict-affected woredas and targeted supplementary feeding to nearly 100,000 people. There is an urgent need for water trucking and overhaul of the water system in all the IDP sites and host communities in two most affected zones of the region. In November, UNICEF and its partners reached 104,901 people through emergency water supply including water trucking and repairs/maintenance of durable water supply schemes. Also, UNICEF, through the Regional Water Bureau (RWB) and Afar Pastoralist Development Association (APDA) distributed critical lifesaving WASH supplies to over 95,000 IDPs and conflict affected people. Similarly, hygiene promotion activities are ongoing in IDP sites and rural kebeles of Teru, Awura, Ewa, Chifra and Dubti for over 73,000 people through APDA. UNICEF also deployed 30 Mobile Health and Nutrition Teams currently providing lifesaving services and medical consultations including severe acute malnutrition (SAM) treatment integrated with infant and young children feeding (IYCF) and micronutrient supplementation in the affected locations. The two main coordination platforms in the Afar region include the Government-led Emergency Coordination Center (ECC) and OCHA-led Inter-Cluster Coordination Group (ICCG). An access working group has also been activated in Semera for partners to discuss access related issues. The Ethiopia Humanitarian Country Team also discussed with representatives of local and international NGOs operating in Afar in order to strengthen coordination and partnership in providing humanitarian assistance to the conflict affected people. EHCT also pointed out the need to strengthen partnership with local NGOs and their access to humanitarian funds. After visiting the projects and meeting with representatives of partners and governments, EHCT underscored the need to mobilize more resources to scale up response in the region to address the needs - especially needs of IDPs and host community, including recovery, rehabilitation, and livelihoods. EHCT also underlined the need to enhance coordination among all actors, on emergency relief, emergency rehabilitation, resilience/recovery for life saving and durable solutions.

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18 January 2022

UNIDO and Ethiopia’s Ministry of Industry sign a €2 mln agreement to support Integrated Agro Industrial Parks

Ethiopia's Ministry of Industry and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) have signed a €2m agreement to support Integrated Agro-Industrial Parks (IAIPs), funded by the Italian Agency for Development and Cooperation. This agreement will contribute to the development of the agro-industrial sector and the creation of decent jobs and economic opportunities in the rural areas of Ethiopia. The objective of the new project is to support the inclusive and sustainable development of four pilot IAIPs. Project activities will concentrate on increasing private sector involvement in agro-industry, improving food quality, safety and traceability, and promoting social inclusion and environmental sustainability. With the support of UNIDO, the Government of Ethiopia has prioritized the establishment of the IAIPs as a primary tool to achieve agricultural modernization and rural industrialization in the country. To this end, the Government of Ethiopia has mobilized various funding sources and development partners for the implementation of IAIPs. The current project is for the development of the four pilot IAIPs, located in Oromia (Bulbula), Sidama (Yirgalem), Amhara (Bure) and Tigray (Baeker). The project is funded by the Italian Agency for Development and Cooperation, in alignment with the Italian strategy outlined in the Ethio-Italian country framework 2017 - 2019 which encourages sustainable and inclusive economic growth to ensure full employment and decent work for all, especially in rural areas, as well as promoting partnerships between Italian and Ethiopian institutions to ensure continuity of investment and transfer of technologies. The signature ceremony was attended by H.E. Shisema Gebreselassie, State Minister of the Ministry of Industry, Aurelia Patrizia Calabrò, UNIDO Representative and Director of the Regional Office Hub, and Isabella Lucaferri, Head of the AICS Addis Ababa Office.

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18 January 2022

Social workers rally support for displaced people in northern Ethiopia

The pain and trauma that Mebrat experienced when she fled her home has helped her in her current role as a social worker, making her better understand the plight and needs of the people she assists. The 32-year-old mother of three never imagined she would become a symbol of hope, trust and strength for displaced Ethiopians who have found refuge in a health centre in Mekelle, the capital of the Tigray region. “Some people tell me they can’t sleep at night. They have flashbacks of what they saw as they escaped,” she said. “I think they confide in me because I am friendly and I understand what they have been through.” She was forced to flee her home ten months ago by truck, then on foot, walking for five days until her shoes wore out, hiding in villages and sleeping on the road with no food or money. Today, she is using her pain to help others and she finds that it helps her do her job well. For the past three months, she has been working at a protection desk set up by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, in the site which has become a haven for many. “People of all ages come to ask for food, diapers, sanitary napkins, milk,” she said. “By helping them, we are ensuring that everyone gets the support they need most.” In Northern Ethiopia, the fighting over the last 12 months has created a humanitarian crisis that has forced millions to flee their homes in search of safety. Up to 8 million people urgently need food, water and other aid. The conflict has made it increasingly difficult to reach people in need, as security conditions in some areas continue to deteriorate. Mebrat receives about ten visitors daily and keeps the small room where the protection desk is housed clean and tidy. “I advise them based on my experience. I am honest with them and I tell them they are not alone. Sometimes, we just cry together,” she said. Her background is in business management – a profession she worked hard at for years. “I came from a poor family so I would sell tea in the morning and study at night. But with hard work, I built a family and became a professional,” she said proudly. In addition to distributing blankets, kitchen utensils and shelter materials to internally displaced people (IDPs) in the Amhara, Afar and Tigray regions in northern Ethiopia, UNHCR has set up a network of more than 50 protection desks, which are accessible to over half a million IDPs – with plans to expand to meet new displacement needs. Social workers like Mebrat serve a crucial role, linking them with service providers including humanitarian agencies. “Social workers are very close to the community, and we value their presence as they really support the physical and mental wellbeing of the displaced,” said Seda Kuzucu, UNHCR’s Senior Emergency Coordinator. She explained how they help improve the humanitarian response by identifying needs and gathering relevant information which is useful in referring urgent cases for assistance. “They provide a form of psychological first aid as many people are suffering from depression and anxiety due to the trauma they underwent, and the stress of an uncertain future.” Like Mebrat, Teklit fled his home with his wife and two-year-old son. He lost friends on the way, witnessed killings, escaped shelling, spent nights hiding in the bush and walked for days in search of safety. But in his current role, he has found new hope. “I wanted to help solve the problems of my community. This work is also helping me sustain my family and I keep learning every day,” he adds. His experience in sports is making a difference as he keeps people, especially the youth, engaged through football and volleyball tournaments. “I developed skills as a sports teacher that I am now putting into practice,” he said. “I used to tell my students to live for today and not to worry about tomorrow. No matter how hard the situation is, it will pass. I believe it deeply and I try to pass that message on to my community. Teklit has become like a big brother to some 25 unaccompanied and separated children hosted at the site. “I help identify the best way they can be assisted but the most important thing is to keep them busy and active. We play sports, we laugh, we dance. This is what fulfils me the most,” he said. His wife is his greatest supporter. “When I am stressed, she advises me. She is my social worker!” he said with a laugh. Although the social workers do as much as they can, they agree that it can be frustrating to not be able to do more. “Our work is very challenging as we don’t always have the answers,” Mebrat said. “Sometimes people just want food, which we don’t have enough of. However, we do our best to ensure that any form of humanitarian aid reaches those most in need.” They are encouraged by the critical role they play. “This work helps me too as I have also suffered a lot. It reminds me I am still alive and healthy and I can help my community,” adds Mebrat said. She dreams of returning home when there is peace. “Peace is important for all of us to recover fully. With peace, I know I can achieve anything I want and I will have a brighter future.”

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19 January 2022

Celebrating waste: How do we build an ecosystem in solid waste recycling, reuse, and upcycling?

When it comes to waste management we know that the informal sector plays a major role in upcycling and recycling waste. However, to make a significant impact and reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfills, we need to mobilize the private sector. We also need to build a compelling case and demonstrate return on investment. Why do solid waste recycling, reuse and upcycling make good, clean (and green) business sense? The market for segregated waste and waste products is currently be limited to recycling plastic and composting organic waste. However, there is a real opportunity as well as encouraging signs that turning waste into usable items (upcycling) and recycling paper, rubber, metal, among others, has the potential to grow in Ethiopia. Buoyed by this prospect the Accelerator Lab sought to explore and experiment this further by reaching out and connecting with key stakeholders and budding innovators interested in recycling, reusing, and upcycling. To operationalize this, the Lab Team embarked on a Solution ‘Safari’ to map out different waste products that can be profitable for waste collectors and held a solution fest to introduce waste and sustainable products. This expedition enabled us to listen to various inspiring stories of young people building their creative businesses while being environmentally conscious. The Solution Fest As a next step, the Accelerator Lab collaborated with the Addis Ababa Solid Waste Management Agency to organize a two-day solution fest that attracted over five hundred visitors. The fest enhanced local engagement within the ecosystem, providing an opportunity to explore the possibilities for stimulating the existing waste market and creating connections across the value chain for a robust and environmentally sustainable waste management system. The fest exhibited start-ups and innovators working with waste products, matched waste collectors, municipalities, and private sectors within the value chain, and held a dialogue to enhance community engagement within the ecosystem. The event created a unique opportunity and space for the exhibitors to showcase their innovations, explore connections with potential partners and initiate business transaction discussions with potential clients. In addition, it provided an opportunity for wider networking among the ecosystem players, as was reflected during the storytelling session provided for during the event. Scaling Deep During the event, we engaged in a futuristic and solution-driven discussion about waste management, including looking at how we can improve the market for recycling, upcycling, and reducing waste. In two panel discussions, we looked at how we can move towards sustainable waste management from the environmental, public health, and job creation perspectives. These dialogues were the highlight of the event, helping participants to generate ideas and lessons. The exchanges focused on building a waste management ecosystem that is open to economic opportunities, has positive impacts on cultural practices and influences policies and programmes. Theme one - The Future of Waste Management: Strategies for Economic Opportunity and Environmental sustainability. The session raised several learning questions like, what is the approach for a waste management system that is environmentally sustainable that is open to economic opportunities? How is the Public-Private Partnership working in waste management? What does research reveal about trends in waste management? How do we coordinate our efforts and create synergies for the future? Representatives from the government, a private recycling company, UNDP’s NAMA compost project and Waste to Energy researchers reflected on these points. Theme two - What opportunities exist? Their role in building a circular economy on waste. The second dialogue brought together multi-national corporations, environmental social movements, and urban design innovation hubs to share their experience and practical approach on the theme. Their story focused on developing a shared responsibility and approach to waste management, the key issues and challenges. Other questions included how to open waste as a business/ job opportunity, identifying opportunities for creating a circular economy, and creating connections across the waste value chain? How does advocacy contribute to a shared responsibility for waste management? Interesting reflections shared during this discussion included tackling the challenge caused by the absence of a proper system design from waste collection centre to waste disposal. The discussants emphasized the need for end-to-end design thinking in the waste system. At the end of the discussions, we captured important learnings on how people can get into upscaling or recycling business, making it profitable, green and sustainable. These are captured below: Addressing the issue of coordination - participants agreed that creating a pipeline between the research that is happening at universities on waste to energy and experimenting with them at a municipal level is a good idea that needs to be explored further. Tackling the question of environmental sustainability- participants underlined the need for a stricter legal framework for enforcing waste segregation. This is particularly key in addressing the problem of e inferior quality of paper waste and by composters. Ensuring quality standards - participants stressed that products produced from the process of recycling should be well designed and marketed as lifestyle products. There should be a focus on instilling excellence in all systems and processes, and this can only happen through investing in proper training and quality assurance. In this regard, participants added that understanding what to recycle, when, where and who would use the final item is equally important. Importance of design thinking - participants also stressed the need to have end-to-end design thinking in the waste system that can address the needs of all stakeholders and create opportunities. “We need to move from passion and stories for recycling to proper design thinking and system,” said Mahder who is a founder of the Urban centre. If you are interested in this topic and have any ideas or suggestions, we would love to hear from you through email address. ethiopia.acclab@undp.org.

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Press Release

10 October 2021

Secretary-General's remarks to the Security Council on Ethiopia

Mr. President, excellencies, I welcome this opportunity to brief you concerning the situation in Ethiopia. In August, I warned the Council that a humanitarian catastrophe was unfolding before our eyes in Ethiopia. Since then, the crisis has worsened. Up to 7 million people in Tigray, Amhara and Afar are now in need of food assistance and other emergency support. This includes more than 5 million people in Tigray where an estimated 400,000 are living in famine-like conditions. Humanitarian aid is still not reaching the area at anywhere close to the levels needed. The only option for road transportation into Tigray is along the Afar corridor where movements are being severely restricted by official and unofficial checkpoints, insecurity and other obstacles and challenges. Some minor improvements – that are welcome – did not change the fundamental nature of the problem. Vital fuel supplies continue to be blocked, as are essential medicines and equipment. Humanitarian organizations continue to lack the cash they need to operate and to pay their staff. Access to electricity remains precarious. Millions of people are cut off from communications networks and vital services such as health care. Fighting in Amhara is another serious impediment to humanitarian access. As a result of all these facts, life-saving humanitarian operations are being crippled. Our colleagues on the ground are sharing increasingly alarming eye-witness testimony of the suffering – including growing accounts of hunger-related deaths. And in locations where screening has been possible, we are seeing acute malnutrition rates that remind us of the onset of the 2011 Somalia famine. We are also seeing deeply worrying reports of violations of human rights abuses perpetrated by all sides. I am particularly concerned about chilling accounts of violence against women and children, including sexual and gender-based violence. Mr. President, The UN is also actively engaged in humanitarian support to other regions of Ethiopia with pressing needs. The country is facing an immense humanitarian crisis that demands immediate attention. All efforts should be squarely focused on saving lives and avoiding a massive human tragedy. This makes last Thursday’s announcement by the Government of Ethiopia to expel seven senior UN officials – most of them humanitarian staff – particularly disturbing. This unprecedented expulsion should be a matter of deep concern for us all as it relates to the core of relations between the UN and Member States. As expressed in the Note Verbale to the Mission of Ethiopia from the Office of Legal Affairs and shared with the Council a few days ago – and I quote: “A Declaration by a State that an official of the United Nations is persona non grata accompanied by a request or demand that the Secretary-General consequently relocate that official out of its territory is not consistent with [the] Charter obligation and is inconsistent with the fundamental principles of the international civil service enshrined in the Charter.” The procedure on such matters is clear. As the Note Verbale states: “…if the Government has any specific issues concerning any…individuals…the relevant information should be brought to the attention of the United Nations to enable the Secretary-General to make a decision as to whether any appropriate actions should be taken.” In other words, there is a proper, formal procedure – and that procedure was not followed. The United Nations will continue to play its mandated role and work with the Government of Ethiopia and with local and international partners to support millions of people in need of humanitarian assistance in Tigray, Amhara and Afar, and across the country, in full accordance with the UN Charter and General Assembly resolution 46/182. I now call on Ethiopian authorities to allow us to do this without hindrance and to facilitate and enable our work with the urgency that this situation demands. This means ensuring that visas for incoming personnel – from UN entities and from our partners – are issued quickly so that we can augment our capacity. The delays we have witnessed in the recent past are another obstacle to effective humanitarian aid. It also means that personnel inside the country are treated with dignity and respect as they carry out their vital work. Our focus remains on ensuring humanitarian assistance to every Ethiopian who needs it. We must save lives and restore livelihoods. I urge the Government to allow the unrestricted movement of desperately needed fuel, cash, communications equipment, and humanitarian supplies into all the regions in need. I appeal to all members of the Security Council to do all they can to support these calls and to unify behind the efforts of the United Nations and its partners in Ethiopia. Last August, in this Council, I called for action on several fronts. As I said then, and I quote: “All parties must immediately end hostilities without preconditions and seize that opportunity to negotiate a lasting ceasefire. Foreign forces should leave the country. Unrestricted humanitarian access to all areas in need must be guaranteed and humanitarian workers must be respected. Public services must be re-established.” This appeal is even more pressing today. Any further escalation of the conflict would only make the situation more tragic. Mr. President, Important political events have taken place in Ethiopia since my last Security Council briefing in August. Just two days ago, a new Government of Ethiopia, led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, was inaugurated. The mandate conferred by the election carries a responsibility – a responsibility to unite all Ethiopians. To focus on the future. To return Ethiopia to its place as a strong, unified, stable leader among the nations of the world. I encourage the newly inaugurated Government to use this mandate and work with renewed determination to be a Government for all. I welcome the Prime Minister’s inauguration remarks prioritizing an inclusive political dialogue involving all segments of the community to resolve the ongoing challenges facing the country. I also note the many messages from African Heads of State emphasizing the need for harmony, national unity, development and peace. I urge all sides to grasp the peace initiative from the AU and its High Representative for the Horn of Africa, H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo. Without peace, the challenges facing Ethiopia will intensify and further destabilize the broader Horn of Africa region and beyond. We have an obligation to avoid such a dire outcome at all costs. Mr. President, Dialogue is the foundation for peace. Peace is the foundation for a stable and prosperous future. Let us all work to help secure that future for all Ethiopians and for the peoples of the region. I thank you.

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Press Release

10 October 2021

Secretary-General's Right of Reply at the Security Council meeting on Ethiopia

If there is anything I have cherished over this period, it is to maintain a very effective and operational relationship with the government of Ethiopia and its Prime Minister, to the effect that there has been criticism in the global media about that, accusing me of being biased in favour of the Ethiopian Government.

So, it is with total, I would say, in a spirit of complete easiness that I would like to ask you one thing, Mr. Ambassador.

If there is any written document, provided by the Ethiopian Government to any UN institution, about any of the [seven] members of the UN that were expelled, I would like to receive a copy of that document, because I have not had any knowledge of any of them. And it would be very useful for me to detect, if documents are given to the UN and not given to my knowledge, then I have to investigate what has happened in my organization.

So, I ask you please, Mr. Ambassador, to provide me with a copy of any of the written documents, written by the Government of Ethiopia about any of the [seven] that were expelled by the Ethiopians in this regard.

And I would recall that twice, I told the Prime Minister that if there were concerns about lack of, how to say, lack of impartiality of UN staff, that I asked him, please, send me those situations for me to be able to investigate.

Twice, I asked the Prime Minister and until now I have no response to these requests.

And so, for us, the question is very simple.

We believe that Ethiopia has not the right to expel these [seven] members of the UN.

We believe Ethiopia is violating international law in doing so and we are ready to cooperate with the Government of Ethiopia in relation to any situation in which the Government of Ethiopia feels that any member of the UN is not behaving in total impartiality, in total independence, as humanitarian law prescribes and humanitarian principles establish.

I want to tell you, Mr. Ambassador, we want to cooperate with the Government of Ethiopia, because we have only one agenda in Ethiopia, and that agenda is the people of Ethiopia – Tigrayans, Amharans, Afaris, Somalis, the people of Ethiopia.

The people of Ethiopia are suffering. We have no other interest but to help stop that suffering.

Thank you very much.

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Press Release

04 August 2021

UN Humanitarian Chief makes official visit to Ethiopia

(Addis Ababa, 4 August 2021): The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, concluded his six-day visit to Ethiopia yesterday evening, his first official mission since he assumed office in mid-July.

While in Ethiopia, the humanitarian chief held constructive meetings with the Federal Government, the Amhara regional president, the African Union, and the humanitarian and diplomatic community. During his meetings with the Prime Minister and other key interlocutors, including the Deputy Prime Minister/Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Peace, Mr. Griffiths had the opportunity to discuss the humanitarian situation in the country and the challenges aid organizations face in getting assistance to Ethiopians.

Mr. Griffiths also spent two days in the Tigray region, where he saw first-hand the dire humanitarian situation, meeting with civilians whose lives had been upended by the conflict. “I met with people in Tigray who lost everything they had after they had to flee their villages or towns, leaving behind their houses and farms. In Hawzen, I visited a family whose house was burned and crops were looted. It was heart-breaking to see the scale of devastation and families who, to this day, do not have a place to live or food to put on their table,” said the humanitarian chief.

During his visit to Tigray, Mr. Griffiths also met with civilians who had suffered horrific violence and saw first-hand the systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals and water systems. In Mekelle and Freweyni, the humanitarian chief engaged with women who had endured unimaginable violence, including some who said they had been raped for weeks. These women need access to comprehensive and holistic services, and yet “this is happening at a moment where most health centres are not functional, like the hospital I visited in Hawzen, where almost nothing but the walls were left untouched; all equipment and medicines have to be replaced,” Mr. Griffiths said. The disruption of essential services, including access to communication, fuel and the banking system is compounding the dire situation.

More than 5.2 million people across Tigray—more than 90 per cent of the region's population—require life-saving assistance, including nearly 400,000 people already facing famine-like conditions. Humanitarian needs are also increasing in neighbouring Amhara and Afar, as the conflict spills over into these regions. In the face of increasing conflict and increasing difficulty getting aid into northern Ethiopia, the Under-Secretary-General said that “we need to change the circumstances that have led to the slow movement of aid – we need the conflict to stop.”

Beyond Tigray, humanitarian organizations are assisting millions of people in Ethiopia facing conflict, displacement, and drought, and are now scaling up response efforts in Amhara and Afar, in light of significant conflict-related displacement. The humanitarian chief said: “It is my highest priority that every Ethiopian in humanitarian need – be they in Tigray, in Amhara, in Afar, or indeed in every region of this country – receive assistance.”
*** For further information, please contact:
Saviano Abreu, OCHA Nairobi, +254 780 530 141 (WhatsApp), deabreuisidoro@un.org
Anna Bliss Jefferys, OCHA New York, +1 347 707 3734, jefferysa@un.org
Jens Laerke, OCHA Geneva, +41 79 472 9750, laerke@un.org
OCHA press releases are available at www.unocha.org/south-sudan or www.reliefweb.int.

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