UN calls for more humanitarian assistance to Ethiopia

© UNHCR/Samuel Otieno The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, visits Eritrean refugees displaced by war in the Tigray region of Ethiopia.

ADDIS ABABA - The United Nations High Commission for Refugee [UNHCR] has called for more support to the federal republic of Ethiopia, noting the impact of the conflict in Tigray and influx of refugees from the neighboring Somalia, Sudan and Eritrea, which are fresh from various internal challenges.

Filippo Grandi , the UNHCR boss who has been visiting the Horn of Africa nation said Ethiopia is in dire need for support from the international community, adding that the devastating hunger in the country has even made it difficult for families living in various Internally Displaced camps.

“While the last few years have been incredibly difficult for many of those affected by the conflict, I was very encouraged to see the progress made towards peace in northern Ethiopia and to witness all the efforts made in getting more aid to the people who lost everything,” Filippo Grandi said, concluding a three-day visit to the country.

Better services sorely needed

During this time, he met with senior government officials and displaced communities in the Tigray region. He also visited Eritrean refugees relocated to a settlement in the Amhara region, home to more than 22,000 people.

He stressed on need to support healthcare infrastructure in the Horn of Africa nation, adding that the agency is currently depleted and is struggling to contain food crisis. The UN has been instrumental in assisting vulnerable communities who were adversely affected by the conflict in Tigray.

“Progress is visible on the ground,” the High Commissioner said. “People are now getting assistance. Some have started to go back to their homes, but much more needs to be done to support the reconstruction and recovery efforts in the Afar, Amhara and Tigray regions. This will be critical to improve their living conditions and work towards lasting solutions, including voluntary returns to their communities.”

Since the peace deal was signed by the federal government and opposition forces in northern Ethiopia in November, UNHCR and other partners have been able to step up the delivery of such much-needed aid as medicines, shelter materials, clothes, household items, and blankets, the agency said.

The latest situation report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs [OCHA] stated that food deliveries had reached more than 3.8 million people in the Tigray region from mid-November to 26 January, the agency added in a statement.

UNHCR reports that Ethiopia hosts more than 800,000 refugees and asylum seekers, mainly from South Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea. In addition, 4.2 million Ethiopians are internally displaced, largely resulting from the conflict and ongoing tensions. Many in the Tigray region need food assistance.

The UNHCR boss said the country need close to $370 million to assist in mitigation efforts, adding that the situation could get out of hands if not managed. So far the war in Tigray has been prevented following peace talks in Nairobi and Pretoria which were brokered by the African Union.

GAROWE ONLINE