




The UNHAS flights will operate twice a week, facilitating the regular movement of humanitarian personnel into and out of Tigray.
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, July 22, 2021 – The first United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) passenger flight, which is managed by the United Nations World Food Programme, has touched down at Tigray’s Alula Aba Nega International Airport in Mekelle today.
It is the first passenger flight into the region since commercial flights were halted on 24 June and carried more than 30 employees from multiple humanitarian organisations working to deliver urgently needed assistance to conflict-affected communities across Tigray.
“WFP and our fellow emergency responders on the ground in Mekelle are all enormously relieved to see this UNHAS flight arrive today, bringing in colleagues who are all essential in our collective efforts to scale up the humanitarian response and for WFP to reach 2.1 million people with life-saving food assistance,” said Michael Dunford, WFP’s Regional Director for Eastern Africa.
From today, the UNHAS flights will operate twice a week, facilitating the regular movement of humanitarian personnel into and out of Tigray. However, the humanitarian response in the region continues to be challenged by a lack of sufficient food and other humanitarian supplies, limited communication services and no commercial supply chain.
With conflict escalating in surrounding regions, including Afar, the safe and secure passage for convoys to move humanitarian supplies into Tigray remains a primary concern for WFP and the humanitarian community, particularly after a WFP convoy was attacked on the morning of July 18 while attempting to move essential humanitarian cargo into Tigray.
Another WFP-led convoy of over 200 trucks containing food and other essential humanitarian supplies is currently on standby in Semera and expected to depart for Tigray as soon as security clearances are assured.
“Famine is preventable and the power to avert it is in the hands of all parties concerned. WFP is calling for all parties to agree to a ceasefire so the humanitarian response can be rapidly scaled up and all routes can be used urgently to reach those most in need,” added Dunford.














“Djibouti’s port handles 95% of inbound and outbound trade from Ethiopia, earning more than $1 billion in port fees per year from Ethiopia alone. This makes Djibouti the dominant port service provider in the HoA and a major player in the Red Sea” (Guled Ahmed – ‘Djibouti needs a Plan B for the post-Guelleh era’ 20.07.2021, Middle East Institute).
There been reported earlier this week that the Tigray Defence Force went into both Amhara region and Afar region. This is happening as the Federal Government have redeployed their forces and using Regional Special Forces (RSF) to continue the conflict in the Tigray Regional State.
What is striking here is that the TDF are doing this to do the same as the state does to the Tigray region. The Federal Government and all its allies have had months upon months with blocking the roads, jamming phone-lines and an electricity black-out. Meaning, the utilities and basic necessities have been blocked, as well as stopping the agricultural sectors ability to sow the fields. The state has deliberately ensured a man-made famine, prolonging the agony and blocked anything from entering the Tigray Region.
That’s why today’s new strategy is bold, while also going at the heart of Addis Ababa government. A government who has used all means to destroy, loot and massacre civilians in Tigray region. The TDF is directly going at the cargo-line of the Federal Republic. Most imported goods passes this route and that has been reported by other organizations during the recent years.
The UNCTAD Report of 2018 states this:
“The Djibouti City – Addis Ababa The main trunk road — meaning the road that has the most traffic — between Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Djibouti City passes through the Ethiopian towns of Awash and Mille, crosses the border at Galafi, joins the route nationale 1 (RN1) in Djibouti, passes through Yoboki, continues just north of Ali-Sabieh, and then enters Djibouti City. The route is shown in 2.1. This section of the Djibouti-Ethiopia road corridor carries about 1,000 trucks per day, mostly six-axle truck/trailer combinations, with those carrying wet bulk — mainly fuel tankers — comprising about 35 per cent of the heavy goods traffic and the remaining 65 per cent consisting of dry bulk and container trucks” (UNCTAD/ALDC/2018/6 – ‘The Djibouti City – Addis Ababa Transit and Transport Corridor: Turning Diagnostics into Action’ 2018).
So, if the TDF blocks this route then they are stopping the direct imports and exports to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. This is an act to do the same as the state has done for months in Tigray region. That is retaliating with the same means, which the Prosperity Party and all its allies has done for so many months now. Yes, this is hurting the middle-men, the innocent civilians and everyone participating in trading. However, that has been for so long and made things much worse in the Tigray region. So the TDF is initially doing what the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) , Amhara allies (Regional Special Forces and “Fano”) and Eritrean Defence Force (EDF).
This is a strategic move and a bold one as well. They are not only going into places where the redeployed Special Regional Forces are stationed in Afar Region. They are also going to the A1/RN1 route. The TDF will block and stop hauliers, container trucks and others to pass. This will ensure a stoppage of goods and ordinary business. They can clearly hurt the Federal Government this way. As the trading would cease and they would struggle to operate.
If the TDF is able to pull this off. They are hurting the pockets of the government and directly stopping business. Cargo-trading will be hurt and it will take time for Ethiopian businesses/traders to switch to other ports. That will delay the exports or imports… This will be interesting, but the TDF is moving forward and gaining territory in Afar region as we speak. So, this will be followed. Peace.

It has been known for months that the Amhara Regional State has been directly involved in the Tigray conflict. The Amhara Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) have today reported that in the Amhara region and in the East Gojjam Zone, Shebel Berenta Woreda the military training of civil servants has begun.
The ABC reports about the military training of civil servants here. However, don’t be shocked if this happens elsewhere in the Regional State. As the Amhara Regional State have used all means into the conflict. The Amhara have deployed their Special Forces and allowed a Para-Military Group “Fano” to be vital parts of the war-effort in Tigray region.
Therefore, this is a further escalation, but also showing no signs of stopping. As state employees and government workers are targeted for “recruitment” and going through military training. The report specified 15 consecutive days, which isn’t much of training, but the purpose is clear.
They are preparing everyone and even making military exercises with civil servants in Amhara region. This isn’t the act of government in peace and who works for law and order. No, this a warlord economics and planning.
The Amhara region is preparing more of its citizens for battle and the front. They are doing this to the ones who runs the Regional State. That says a lot. The bureaucrats and the clerks of the Regional State is now getting military training and equipment.
This is sadly no joke, but a worrying sign. As everyone is getting deployed and no boundaries in the conflict. That nobody stopped this and questioned this. Says a lot about the current state of affairs and to what extent the Amhara Regional State is willing to go. As they are now even possibly arming, but they are reported giving military training to civil servants. Peace.