Ethiopia: Filsan Abdullahi Ahmed – An open letter to the Ethiopian people! (20.01.2022)

Ethiopia: The Global Society of Tigrai Scholars (GSTS) – A Call for the Protection of Minorities: The Irob and Kunama People (19.01.2022)

Ethiopia: Ethiopia Catholic Church-Social and Development Commission Adigrat Branch – Subject: Situation Updating on the Worsening Situation in Tigray (17.01.2022)

Ethiopia: Dwindling medical supplies in northern Ethiopia prevent health workers from aiding those in need (18.01.2022)

The ICRC is profoundly concerned over availability of medical treatment, including medicine and medical equipment.

MOPTI, Mali, January 18, 2022 – As the conflict in northern Ethiopia continues to evolve, hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced, putting enormous strain on the region’s health-care system and medical staff.

The ICRC is profoundly concerned over availability of medical treatment, including medicine and medical equipment. Health-care services are lacking essential medical supplies, and in some cases infrastructure has been severely damaged. This makes access to health care very challenging, depriving people of the essentials they need to survive.

The ICRC is adapting its assistance efforts with a focus on the most vulnerable. However, our capacity to respond has become limited as medical supplies dwindle, with delivery of humanitarian assistance seriously hampered by a combination of fighting, insecurity and access constraints.

“Some hospitals in Amhara have closed due to lack of medicines,” said Micha Wedekind, who is in charge of the ICRC’s response in Amhara and Afar. “People with chronic diseases are dying every day and women are giving birth at home as health facilities are not functional and often without electricity or water.”

“In Tigray, single-use items such as gloves, surgical materials and even chest drains are being washed and reused, increasing the risk of infections. In some places, doctors have replaced disinfectant by salt to clean wounds,” said Apollo Barasa, the health coordinator at the ICRC delegation in Ethiopia. “Patients are receiving expired medications, oxygen plants are not working anymore, and some health facilities cannot provide routine vaccines.

The ICRC reminds all parties to the conflict that they must facilitate without delay the delivery of humanitarian assistance to those who need it most.

Our medical support this month has included to seven health care facilities around Dessie, including Hayk, Mersa, Woldiya and Kobo. Throughout 2021, together with the Ethiopian Red Cross Society, the ICRC supported 130 health facilities in Amhara, Afar, Tigray, Oromia and Somali region. More than 110,000 people have benefited from our medical programs and 9,800 persons received physiotherapy and mobility treatment.

Beyond medical assistance, the ICRC continues to be concerned over the food and livelihood situation in northern Ethiopia. Last week our teams were able to bring humanitarian assistance to communities in Lalibela, Amhara, for the first time in six months, providing 2,500 people with food and 6,000 people with household items such as mattresses, jerrycans, kitchen sets and solar lamps. In Mekelle, the ICRC has distributed essential household and hygiene items to more than 900 displaced people.

Finally, whilst maintaining our operations in the area, the ICRC is deeply concerned by recent reports of continued fighting in northern Ethiopia causing civilian casualties, including in recent airstrikes.

We call upon all parties to the conflict to respect the rules and obligation of international humanitarian law, which provide that civilians are protected against attack and that everything feasible must be done to verify that targets are military objectives. To the extent feasible, civilians must also be removed from the vicinity of military objectives.

In 2021, the ICRC has:

– Assisted 655,000 people with household supplies, shelter and cash throughout the country, with a focus on northern Ethiopia
– Provided 875,000 people with agricultural and livestock assistance
– Facilitated access to clean water and sanitations to 1,950,000 people, including in places of detention
– Helped over 169,000 people restore or maintain family links, facilitating exchange of news by family members.

Ethiopia: Oromo Federalist Congress-Global Support Group (OFC-GSG) – A statement by the Oromo Federalist Congress – Global Support Group (OFC-GSG) on the partial release of Oromo leaders from unjustified prison (15.01.2022)

Ethiopia: Fano is boosted by Amhara regional government – so their war-effort is still on…

The Amhara regional government has said that the rumors that the government is going to disarm Fano are baseless and an enemy plot to divide the Amhara people. The regional government has held talks with members of the Fano organization. Fano, in collaboration with other security forces, is a force to be reckoned with. Therefore, neither the federal nor the state government has any plans to disarm Fanon” (Amhara Prosperity Party, 14.01.2022).

The ones who believes the Tripartite Alliance is dead and stopped their war in Ethiopia. They have to see the signs, as the Eritrean Defence Force (EDF) is not only fighting on front within Tigray Region, but is also deployed in the Oromia region. Alas, Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) have stopped their advances and not continued inwards in Tigray. However, there is air-strikes and drone-strikes on the regular, killing and destroying infrastructure on the daily. Meaning, the Tripartite Alliance is intact.

The Amhara Para-Military Group “Fano” has participated in the whole war and the Amhara Regional State has used their means. Their Regional Special Forces has been activated as well. The Police Force and anyone who could move before the November 2020 has been used. Heck, civil servants was getting military training in the region for their “survival campaign” at some point. Therefore, Amhara Regional State was as invested as it could be.

The Amhara state communications have today published story called: “”Fano is one who respects the system and sacrifices himself for the benefit of the Amhara people”! Mr. Gizachew Muluneh” (Amhara Communications, 16.01.2022). That’s the story that I will digest and show to the world. As that shows what the Amhara Regional state is willing to do and what Amhara Prosperity Party is believing. This is government sanctioned publication and article, which shouldn’t be left without anyone looking into to it.

It starts with: “The government will not disarm the Fano who fought for the welfare of the country and the freedom of the people” (Amhara Communications, 20212.

They are starting with thanking and appreciating what the armed group or militia did in the war. As it has participated in massacres, looting and total destruction. It has been a vicious group and done war-crimes on the front-lines, as an ally of the cause and with deliberate act to annihilate the Tigray region. Therefore, the freedom and welfare is only for the Amhara Regional State and not the whole nation…

The Fano have made great strides in thwarting the invasion of the TPLF; The head of the office said that they have paid the price for their lives; The government recognizes and rewards these people, but there is no reason to disarm. When the government’s idea falls to the ground, it is to treat the injured Fano in the same way as other forces, and not to disarm them, but to do what they have done for the dignity of the country” (Amhara Communications, 2022).

Here we are seeing it is continued. That their acts and enterprise in this war is of vast importance. This is why the Amhara Prosperity Party and Amhara Regional State have no plans of disarming Fano and neither challenge it’s existence. Instead, they are treated as part of the government. That says it all here really…

It continues: “Fano is an armed force that, in the event of an emergency in the region, coordinates with the rest of the government security forces in the same way as anyone else; In times of peace, the farmer, the farmer, is the one who goes into business and returns to his normal business. In peace, most of the Fano is at work; If there is no work, the government will use this force to get them to work” (Amhara Communications, 2022).

Here the state is initially stating that in ordinary times the Fano is workers and farmers doing their duties as citizens. However, when it’s war these are called in as recruits and natural part of the war-effort. This is making them a “home-front” of sorts… but the Fano can also be a way of having unemployed recruited to it too, which is backfiring the first argument. As that means this is to stem for unemployment and secure the idle can become para-military and militia members, which can be deployed in need by the state. That is a hectic organization and also very confusing to say the least.

Fano is not a superpower, but a state under the control of the government. Anyone who deviates from this and is interested should not be called by the name of Fano. The regional government, from its political leadership onwards, wants to be organized in an orderly manner. But this is not about disarmament, it is from my opinion that the administration of the armed forces should be seen in a process and led in a system” (Amhara Communications, 2022).

They make it seems like it is an institution and part of the armed forces, but at the same time it’s ordinary folks who just take up arms. They are just unsigned recruits and militia members who can be called up in need. Therefore, you cannot disarm them or disband them. As they are own entity, but at the same under the system of the Armed Forces (ENDF). Which doesn’t make total sense either.

So, it seems like the Amhara Regional State and Amhara Prosperity Party doesn’t have their minds totally made up. As they are initiated as a part of the army. Therefore, these units and this formation isn’t something to overlook. It has already cast a spell on the ones in power. They cannot disarm them and will use them. This means they are part of the Regional State defence organization and will not be disbanded. That is perfectly clear. They are even praising their achievements and what they have done. Which means the Amhara Regional State are proud of their acts and military offensives… and that should send out red-flags and worrying signals.

As the Fano has participated in vicious massacres and ethnic cleansing together with the EDF in the Tigray Region. That has been reported and needs to be investigated. Since, these forces hasn’t been used to secure cattle in Gondar or rearing goats around Bahir Dar. Peace.

Ethiopia: News Comment by UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on attack that hit Mai Aini refugee camp in Tigray (06.01.2022)

I am deeply saddened to learn that three Eritrean refugees, two of them children, were killed yesterday, in an airstrike that hit the Mai Aini refugee camp in northern Ethiopia.

My thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the loved ones of those lost in this attack.

According to the information we received, four other refugees were injured. Thankfully, their lives are not at risk. UNHCR is assisting them to receive medical care.

Refugees are not and should never be a target.

While UNHCR continues to gather and corroborate details on the events, I reiterate UNHCR’s call on all parties to the conflict to respect the rights of all civilians, including refugees. Refugee settlements must always be protected, in line with their international legal obligations.

Ethiopia: Agew Liberation Front – Press Release (05.01.2022)

Agew Liberation Front has been taking a clear stand on the situation of the country’s political situation and the movement will continue; even though the fascist takes responsibility for the death and anger of the peaceful citizens in different countries, it is still disturbing the responsibility of the citizens, because I will not accept the peaceful solution that was done repeatedly for the sake of the people I’m going to be a The country is moving in the circle of pride. The terrorist fascist is spreading the poison of hate and destroying the country with the senders to disintegrate.
The Agew Liberation Front has announced that this act is not fully accepted; the one that our organization has put it as a solution has presented the following.
1/ Our political movement especially the previous region (three) should be fully implemented as a new one and 85% of the Agaw people should be governed by the right age of Agaw.
2/ For the terrorist to think about prosperity and to correct the country, so that the question the people have to answer.
3 / For everyone who is being imprisoned for no reason in the country should be respected
4/: The Agew Liberation Front is worried that it is an emergency to change the politics of the people to negative politics.
Victory for the great people of Agew!!
Agew Liberation Front (ALF)

Ethiopia: «Hoping Against Hope!» – Position Statement of Doctors and other health professionals of Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital – College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University (04.01.2022)

Jan. 4/ 2022: Position Statement of Doctors and other health professionals of Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital – College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University

We, the Doctors and other health professionals of Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital – College of Health Sciences, at Mekelle University, hear and experience firsthand the daily suffering our patients are enduring. As we had solemnly sworn an oath to protect and save our patients from suffering, the least we could do on difficult days like these ones is to become their voice and ventilate their sufferings for the world to hear.

The statement below, therefore, is the collective voice of all of us working in the hospital and the college to echoing our patients’ plea that we hear every day for the last six months.
We have no doubt that anyone listening or reading this position statement will be cognizant of the fact that meeting the health needs of a community in low-resource settings such as ours is a very daunting endeavor, even in times of peace and stability.
To substantiate this, we wish to put some historical milestones of our college into perspective:

• We, the Doctors and other Health Professionals of Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital – College of Health Sciences, remember our humble beginnings 14 years ago. We remember that, back then, our 500 – bed hospital had stood empty and idle for nearly a decade because of the severe shortage of health professionals, medical instruments, and financial resources.
• We also remember how this once empty hospital had grown fast through the hard work and perseverance of all of us, the unwavering support of our university, national and international partners.

A hospital that was barely better than a countryside health post in the early days of its establishment, grew to be a specialized referral center a decade later serving a catchment area of 9 million people from Tigray, neighboring districts of the Afar and Amhara regions.
It won’t be forgotten that our hospital had been also serving Eritrean refugees staying in the camps in Northern Ethiopia for quite a while. It is also to be well remembered that patients from Eritrea were well taken care of in our hospital during the brief period of border normalization between our two countries in 2018.

Our hospital’s annual patient visit had risen to nearly 300,000 and thousands of major surgeries, deliveries, and a wide variety of interventions and treatments used to be given.
We all took those positive developments for granted and it was customary for us to focus on future progress rather than dwell on past achievements.

However, while mentally unprepared, we have found ourselves, in such a short period of time, in a situation that we would never ever have considered possible in our wildest imaginations. How could we ever have expected to cancel surgeries for lack of intravenous fluids, anesthesia drugs, or tell patients or their relatives to find intravenous fluids somewhere in the city while the patient needed quick support?

But, we have been forced to work in a hospital without intravenous fluids, gloves, even the most commonly used antibiotics, anti-pain medications, drugs vital for women undergoing labor and delivery, drugs for various kinds of mental illnesses, basic laboratory tests, and a lot more other essential drugs.

• The availability of essential drugs, which was 79.3% a couple of years ago and 82% a year ago has now gone down to 17.5%.
• The availability of laboratory tests which was 93.7%, a couple of years ago and 84.2% a year ago, has now gone down to 42.1%.

The numbers are going down rapidly every week. The oxygen supply to our hospital has become very unreliable and resulted in the death of patients because of the frequent breaking down of the machines that could have been easily repaired if we got spare parts from the manufacturer through Addis Ababa to Mekelle which is now completely impossible.

To make matters worse, electricity blackouts have become more common and prolonged for days at times. There is no means of communication within the hospital and beyond. Thus, we have to walk and find the person we need, even to do something trivial.
We, the staff of the hospital and the college haven’t lost hope despite the huge psychological burden that we have to deal with as a result of witnessing what is happening to our patients on a daily basis.

As you might all be aware of:

• We haven’t been paid our well-deserved salaries for the last seven months, our extra–time payments for nearly 13 months,
• We are unable to withdraw whatever amount of money we have had in governmental and private banks because of the complete shutdown of banking service
• We have nothing to feed our families and ourselves

Against all odds, however, we have continued to serve our patients with whatever supplies are at our disposal!

We have:
• tried to produce fluids locally to clean infected wounds,
• beg business people or residents in the city to give us detergents, soap, bed sheets, and other linen for free or on credit to be able to keep the hospital running.

We have used and are still using expired drugs when that is the only option left. We have tried to give care to those in the most urgent need and ask others to wait to know that those who are waiting are also getting closer to hapless conditions.

Our neurosurgery team has decided to operate on patients with problems in the brain just based on clinical examinations, without having the support of CT scan and/or MRI images which have both been not functional for many months because spare parts could not reach our city due to the complete blockage.

Supplies that we used to get for free from donors and partners, as well as business counterparts, have not reached our hospital for the last six months.

As a result, children who needed shunt surgeries are left to die, those with treatable cancers are denied their rights and those with fractures are forced to wait while being immobilized.

Those who could easily have been saved with hemodialysis are dying. Patients who have had dialysis for years at our hospital are forced to die just because the supplies that could have been brought are not allowed to reach us.

The world is tested with COVID19. Add a large-scale, full-fledged War on it. Then add a siege on it. Imagine this three combined in a poor region that struggles for survival even in times of peace and stability.

We earnestly believe that there are very good people out there in Ethiopia, the horn of Arica, Africa, and the rest of the world who could be the advocates of our patients, our health professionals, and our people. We wonder how the world lets this man-made crisis continue unabated while it has all the capacity and the means it needs to stop it.

We, therefore, humbly and respectfully request all health professionals in Ethiopia, Africa, and the world to be the voice of our patients and stand with us in our effort to end the crisis. We also request the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia, different UN and other international organizations, all the other local partners, NGOs as well as international partners to intervene and bring the misery of several months to an end.

Whatever the cause of the war is, it cannot be right or ethical to deny patients lifesaving health care. Neither can it be justified to completely withhold a hospital budget for several months as if it is never the responsibility of the government of Ethiopia to let a hospital carry on its activities and deliver health to innocent civilians in urgent need of care.

We, people in the world, live on a tiny planet and our destinies are intertwined. It would be very heartbreaking to see those with the power and capacity do nothing except viciously say that they are “concerned”, “very concerned”, and “gravely concerned.”

It is already very late but those national, continental, and global authorities in health, as well as governments and organizations responsible for solving such problems, can still avert a catastrophe.
We have seen the world do that before and we, your fellow brothers and sisters, believe and hope against hope that you will do the same this time around as well.

Truly yours,

Doctors and other Health Professionals of Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital – College of Health Sciences, at Mekelle University

Ethiopia: NaMA calls for complete elimination of the TPLF

Today like any other day, the allies of the Tripartite Alliance shows their true face to the world to see. There is already discussion of national dialogue, which anyone who follows knows it’s only a smokescreen. Alas, the National Movement of Amhara (NaMA) who has a Minister in the Cabinet and is “opposition” party. Now, shows their loyalty to the warfare and is practically an new edition of Amhara Democratic Party (ADP), which Demeke Mekonnen comes from before the EPRDF became Prosperity Party.

Belete Mola really shows his loyalty to Abiy and his war. That is very clear and there is no indication of stopping. As the hatred and the will to annihilate is the clear intention. That’s what the allies of Abiy wants and what Amhara nationalists wants as well. This is very clear to anyone to see.

Just read what a bad translation says:

The Tigray People’s Liberation Army (TPLA) led by the TPLF has discussed in detail the humanitarian and material damage it has inflicted on our country, Ethiopia, particularly the Amhara and Afar regions, as well as the possible attacks and threats posed by the invading forces. The people of our country, our brave National Defense Forces, our Amhara and Afar Special Forces, the Fano and the Joint Security Forces, and Ethiopians and people of Ethiopian descent around the world, have strongly evaluated our struggle and record of victory. We have assessed the strengths and weaknesses of our movement in its struggle for survival and set directions, and we have identified the direction to be taken until the threat posed by the invading forces to the group is completely eliminated. On this occasion, he called on the people of our country, especially the Amhara and Afar Movement, to continue their struggle until the threat posed by the invading forces is completely eradicated” (National Movement of Amhara, 03.01.2021).

The NaMA party is talking and directing all ills on the Tigray and the TPLF. This is done in common fashion by the government supporting party. Which could be just a second edition of the ADP. Belete Mola and his party clearly don’t want a peaceful resolution, but want a total destruction of Tigray. The NaMA wants to eliminate and eradicate… this is the vision of the opposition party.

What is striking the NaMA is calling for more war until the Tigay is ended. That shows it all really and there is no peaceful end in sight. We know the Minister is an ally of the Prime Minister and that is very obvious. As the hate-speech and the assessment of the press release/statement published today shows.

This is just more Amhara elitist preparing for more war. That’s the message and annihilation as well. Therefore, don’t expect much of the allies of Abiy. They are not there to bring peace, but support the war and the efforts of total destruction of the Tigray region. That’s where we are in 2022 and there is no end in sight. Only more bloodshed, massacres and starvation. No positive message or hope, since the ones in power only seeks prolonged vengeance and agony upon Tigray. Peace.