Ethiopia: Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) President Debretsion Gebremichael letter to the International Communty (23.08.2022)

Ethiopia: Again and Again – The Federal Government continues vilify Humanitarian Assistance to Tigray region

It is also cognizant of the siphoning of humanitarian assistance and fuel reserves towards combatants instead of intended beneficiaries and the actors that are aiding and abetting the TPLF’s affront to peace” (Fana Broadcasting Company – ‘Government Reaffirms Readiness To Engage In Peace Talks At Any Time, Any Place Under Auspices Of AU Led Process’ 18.08.2022).

The regime of Addis Ababa has the nerve of claiming the United Nations Organizations, the Humanitarian organizations and the aid agencies who is helping the ones in need in Ethiopia. We know that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali have spoken ill of “wheat aid” on at least two occasions, which we know about. Therefore, we know there is resentment over the needs and the failure of the state in regard to food security. That’s why the PM is even blaming the World Food Programme, as if they are destroying local wheat production, which is a lie. Because, they wouldn’t import food and come with humanitarian aid, if there was no need for it. The UN organizations already struggling to meet the needs and have the funding to procure the needed food in question.

So, in this regard it’s really sinister that the Prosperity Party and the Addis Ababa regime continues to play with the card of using humanitarian assistance to boost a “war-effort” in Tigray. The authorities and the state itself has several of checkpoints and besieged the Tigray region for months upon months end. That’s why there is never enough ending up to the ones in need in Tigray. The state has created a man-made famine and campaign of starvation in Tigray.

The regime wants us to forget this part of the story:

The WFP official underlined how damaging the delays to the convoy’s arrival had been. “What is important here is to note is that these convoys are going through rigorous checks”, Mr. Phiri said. “It should not be like that. We need to send these convoys every day from now on so that we are able to meet demand. We therefore appeal for quicker and smoother passage into the region as soon as possible.” The aid convoy took four days to travel from Semera in the northeast to Mekelle, a distance of 445 kilometres. Drivers had to stop at 10 checkpoints where “at each and every stop, the humanitarian cargo was rigorously checked”, Mr. Phiri said” (UN News – ‘UN appeals for faster passage for aid convoys to Ethiopia’s Tigray’ 13.07.2021).

 

It isn’t like the trucks and the convoys are flown in without checks or balances. The authorities and the state is checking the humanitarian assistance not only when its entering, but all the way to the Tigray region. It is really compelling the vilification of the humanitarian assistance. That’s saying something about the gratitude and attitude towards it. They want to make it so hard that the humanitarian organizations stops or ceases their operations. That’s how it looks like and with the steady meetings to “resolve the bottlenecks” which never happened.

To read yet again the humanitarian assistance used to the war-effort. Only shows what sort of lies and deception the state wants the world to believe. While we are supposed to forget all the check-points, blockade and the hurdles the WFP or others are going through to get it to Mekelle or anywhere else in the Tigray region.

This is grim, dark and sinister. The whole affair shows the lack of heart or concern in general. Lives doesn’t matter, but political gains and consolidating power matters more. That’s the gist of it. Peace.

Ethiopia: Abiy plans to export wheat – while several of regions are hit by famine…

We are hearing reports that a Ship is on its way to Ethiopia carrying Wheat, and that famine is looming. All this is false information aimed at pre-emptively sabotaging the credibility of our Wheat export plans” – Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali (14.08.2022).

The wheat will go to WFP’s operations in #Ethiopia. It’s one of many areas around the world where the near-complete halt of Ukrainian grain & food on the global market has made life even harder” (Abiy, 14.08.2022).

The Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed Ali is claiming and down-talking yet again humanitarian aid. It isn’t many months ago when he spoke ill of “wheat-aid”. Therefore, this is one of his pet-pees and issues he wants to settle. The PM can want to be self-sufficient and be able to produce enough food for the Republic. There is nothing wrong in that and everyone should strive on it.

If we prevent wheat aid from entering Ethiopia, 70% of our problems will be solved. Ethiopia main problem is aid wheat. Together with aid wheat diseases and many other problems comes with. Stopping aid wheat means resolving most of our problems. After stopping aid wheat, we can create touristic areas. For example, can build a cafeterias in this place like we saw earlier today. Tourists go to Cape Town and South France. In our case. It’s sitting idle” – Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali (October 2021).

However, in 2022 and at this very time… the United Nations or Humanitarian Organizations aren’t undermining the authorities or the Prosperity Party for that matter. No, they are just coming with aide to the ones in need, which isn’t only in the Tigray region that has been besieged for months. No, they have to go Somali (Ogaden) region, parts of Oromia region and Afar region too. There are so many people who needs help across the Republic.

OCHA reported it like this ten days ago: “The overall humanitarian situation in Ethiopia has significantly deteriorated in 2022 leading to increased humanitarian needs across the country due to ongoing conflict and violence, and climatic shocks such as the prolonged drought. More than 20 million people are to be targeted for humanitarian assistance and protection this year. Nearly three quarters of them are women and children” (OCHA, 05.08.2022).

There are millions of people who needs it now. Yes, there are fields that grows wheat in Ethiopia. However, that is clearly not sustainable or able to cope with the needs of the Republic. That farmers and the Ethiopian agriculture is able to produce and expand their production is fine. Nevertheless, that doesn’t solve the crisis or the famines which are occurring.

These famines aren’t created to undermine or create distress for the Prime Minister. No, they are either happening because of the policies of the Republic of blocking humanitarian aide to the Northern Ethiopia, in general to the Tigray Region, or it’s happening because of prolonged drought and climate, which no one controls. Even if the Prime Minister has promised technology to create rain the other year. Clearly, buying drones and bullets for his war has been more important to his whole reign.

We are seeing the attitude and the charisma of a self-absorbed man. Who thinks he can solve everything on his own. A man who don’t want interference and want to be self-sufficient, but doesn’t have the tools or ability to see the struggles now. Maybe the years in the Palace in Addis Ababa has made him forget about the plights of the commoner. Because they are struggling from the tip of Ogaden to the end of Tigray. He clearly don’t mind their issues and think the imported wheat is there to destroy his vision.

However, the wheat imports is only to save the lives of civilians within his Republic. He should be happy it is coming. Nevertheless, that’s too much to ask for a man who clearly don’t value those lives or the suffering of the citizens as a whole. Peace.

Opinion: The Afar region is a victim of the policy of the besieged Tigray

There is good news and bad news. The good news is that humanitarian truce that was agreed in March- April is holding and has allowed us to bring in humanitarian supplies….[]The bad news is that after 20 months of War, the Amhara and Afar situation is not getting better” – WFP Country representative for Northern Ethiopia, Adrian Van Der Kaap (Yesuf Endris – ‘WFP calls on Int’l organizations to support Amhara, Afar IDPs’ 04.08.2022, Ethiopian Press Agency).

We do need more corridors, we need the humanitarian truce to continue and we expect that it will continue. But, we need to open more coroners. Of course, we need more funds as we burn our money

The humanitarian assistance and the man-made famine, which has been created over the months of blockade. A blockade of not only the most basic humanitarian assistance, which is food and basic necessities. The Tigray region has not had banking services, internet or telecommunication. Therefore, the Tigray has been put in a horrible place of starvation and lack of medicines. That sort of actions makes the international partners rally more for help and get the Federal Government to stop the blockade before it’s too late.

That is something everyone must understand. The policy of doing this to a war-torn region and a battlefront of the state. It is showing what sort of ideology and sort of retribution the state does to the ones that has fallen out of favours. The Tigray region has become a burden and a target of the state. To think otherwise is naive after the start of the conflict and launch of the “Law Enforcement Operation” in November 2020. The months of blockade and the stoppage of humanitarian assistance will hurt for years to come. The amount of damage, pain and suffering is unknown.

With that in mind… the news of people struggling, living with barely nothing and starving in Afar region. Is yet another tragedy happening in Ethiopia. The Afar region is a victim of the state sponsored conflict in the North. The Afar people is being put in between the battlefield and on the front-line of the conflict at the same time. They are middle-men who are seeing the convoys of humanitarian assistance going to Tigray. That is a necessary thing, but they could have seen this coming. The damage is already done and the humanitarian organisations struggling to meet the vast needs in Tigray alone. A sort of game of who is the hurt most and who is bleeding the most this week. Which isn’t fair to anyone and that’s why Afar feels betrayed.

The ones that betrayed Afar isn’t the World Food Programme or any United Nations organisations. No, it is the Prosperity Party that made Tigray suffer to a level, which makes it impossible for the organizations to bring enough to needy elsewhere. They don’t have the manpower, the warehouses with stocks of food or equipment in general. The time laps and the lost periods are now costing. The cash-strapped organizations will be put to a test. When the people of Afar is also feeling the pain of what the Federal Government put into play in Tigray.

No one deserves this and everyone should know that. No one should starve, no have food or shelter. That is a need every human being has. No matter what tribe, religion or creed. People need food and shelter. Afar people needs that and the people of Tigray needs it too.

This is just a proof that the WFP and anyone else who supports humanitarian assistance in Ethiopia. Needs to get more help and donations. There is need for bigger pledges and the bureaucracy of the government has to open up. The game of blocking and stifling the attempts has to be over. Unless, they want this to run rapid and get closer to capital. Because, the more you play this vicious circle. The more people are dying and the more innocent lives lost. More pain and suffering, which could have been avoided. This is a deadly game and it’s been coordinated to a T from the leaders of the Republic. That should be known and the Afar people deserves better. So, does also the people of Tigray. It is just a sinister plot, which has ramifications that we couldn’t see in advance. Because, who knew the Prime Minister and his associates would be this cold and lack of heart for his own citizens. Peace.

Somalia: OCHA – Somalia Humanitarian Fund allocates US$9.5 million for famine prevention (02.08.2022)

Ethiopia: Government of Tigray – External Affairs Office – Statement by the Government of Tigray on the Visit of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE) to Ethiopia (24.07.2022)

Ethiopia: Catholic Eparchy – Adigrat – Tigray – Vocie of Tigray Population in Agony of Siege to all with Hearts Open for Humanity (17.07.2022)

Republique Centrafricaine: OCHA – 15 million US dollars to alleviate food insecurity in the crisis-ridden Central African Republic (19.07.2022)

Ethiopia: Somali Regional Democratic Alliance (S.R.D.A) – An Open Communique to whom it may be all Concern about the actual Political Turmoil of Ethiopia (16.07.2022)

Ethiopia: Global Society of Tigray Scholars and Professionals (GSTS) – Tigray Urgently Needs Fertilizer, Improved Seeds, and Chemicals to Avert Catastrophic Famine Next Year (15.07.2022)