Ethiopia Commits to Blanket Humanitarian Access

ADDIS ABABA – The Government of Ethiopia has granted blanket humanitarian access across Tigray State to international aid agencies operating in the area, country’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN said.

Ambassador Taye Atske-Selassie tweeted that the government’s full commitment to investigate allegations of human rights violations. The ambassador provided updates on the government’s effort to address all humanitarian logistics throughout the state.

Ethiopia has a longstanding commitment to safety and protection of refugees during this time of pandemic. The ambassador disproved the narrative claiming deploying famine as a weapon against the people of Tigray.

In a related development, Chief of the Staff of the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) General Birhanu Jula expressed readiness to work closely with federal and state security agencies and other pertinent actors to ensure the safety of humanitarian supply to Tigray.

During his discussion with WFP officials recently, General Birhanu stated that the army has been exerting maximum efforts to ensure the safety of humanitarian response and enable aid agencies access to the needy people.

A committee composed of ENDF, Ministry of Peace, Tigray Interim Administration, international and local humanitarian organizations has been established with a view to facilitating the smooth provision of emergency and sustainable support, the officer pointed out.

The Chief of Staff highlighted that the federal government and the Interim Administration have been working closely to rehabilitate and rebuild Tigray. General Birhanu also affirmed to officials of the WFP that the necessary measures will be taken to create a favorable environment for the provision of humanitarian support.

Several social services, including health and education, have been restored and became operational, it was learnt. Likewise, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) recently affirmed unfettered access to humanitarian actors to operate in all parts of Tigray.

MoFA Spokesperson, Dina Mufti, stated that the challenge at hand is related to issues of capacity and resource. “What actually makes a real difference is for partners to make a timely and effective response to the international appeal by availing more resources.”

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