Ethiopia: WFP Sends First Humanitarian Passenger Flight into Tigray, as Famine Edges Closer in the Region (22.07.2021)

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.

  • Despite the numerous challenges, WFP has managed to deliver food to over 730,000 people in parts of the south and north west in the past month (under Round 2 distributions). This includes 40,000 people in Zana who were reached with food assistance for the first time.
  • WFP hopes to reach an additional 80,000 people in the north west in the coming days. Once this is completed, food stocks are likely to run out.
  • WFP and its nutrition partners are working together to ensure nutrition supplies are reaching the families most in need. In June, WFP reached over 185,000 people with nutrition support but progress in early July was much slower due to security concerns with 30,000 people reached so far. WFP is now delivering nutrition support in areas previously unreached throughout the conflict, including those with high malnutrition rates.
  • There is currently 7,500 metric tons of food inside Tigray stored in WFP’s warehouses in Mekelle and Shire. WFP recently added an additional 13 trucks to its fleet within the region and plans to move in 30 more as soon as it is guaranteed safe and secure passage to do so.
  • WFP is providing logistics capacity to the Joint Emergency Response (JEOP, a consortium of NGOs funded by the United States) by transporting urgently needed food to those communities which haven’t yet been reached, particularly in rural areas in central zone.
  • The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification analysis in June projected that over 400,000 people would be suffering from catastrophic levels of hunger from July onwards. Across Tigray, 4 million people—70 percent of the population— have high levels of acute food insecurity and need emergency assistance.
  • Across Ethiopia, WFP aims to reach 11.9 million people in 2021 with food, nutrition and cash support and delivering activities to boost communities’ self-reliance and capacity in order to be food secure.
  • WFP needs US$176 million to continue to scale up its response in Tigray to save lives and livelihoods to the end of the year. For all activities under its Country Strategic Plan, WFP has a funding shortfall of US$377 million. Additional funding is vital to allow WFP to keep saving and changing lives in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia: Office of the Prime Minister – Tigray Region Humanitarian Assistance Update (22.07.2021)

Ethiopia: The Global Society of Tigray Scholars (GSTS) – Open Letter – Call to Stop the Siege of Tigray and the Use of Starvation as a Weapon of War (22.07.2021)

Ethiopia: Agency for Refugees and Returnees Affairs (ARRA) – Statement on the Situation of Eritrean Refugees in Mai-Tsebri Area (22.07.2021)

Ethiopia: Security and Justice for Tigrayans (SJT) – Open Letter – An Urgent Appel to Stop Indiscriminate Human Rights Violations of Tigrayans (20.07.2021)

Ethiopia: The Government of the National State of Tigray – Statement by the Government of the Government of the National State of Tigray concerning the Eritrean refugees in Tigray (21.07.2021)

Ethiopia: Union of Oromo Communities in Canada (UOCC) – Statement of the UOCC Condemning the Deployment of Oromia Regional Forces against Tigray (19.07.2021)

Ethiopia: The TDF is targeting the main cargo route [A1/RN1] from Djibouti to Addis Ababa

Taken from Google Map – Made the transport route Addis Ababa – Semera – Djibouti

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.

Ethiopia: In Amhara region civil servants are now getting military training

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.

Ethiopia: The TDF have now entered both Amhara and Afar regions

The conflict is really spiralling out of control for the Federal Government and their allies. As the Federal Government have deployed Regional Special Forces from all across the Republic in the recent days. The Tigray Defence Forces (TDF) is still able to gain further gains and continue to deliver winning battles.

The latest revelation says the TDF have already entered the Afar region, as they went after the ENDF and allies there. Now, they are going to Amhara, who has annexed and gone rouge in the Tigray region since November 2020. Therefore, this can be seen as self-defence. Since the Amhara Regional State isn’t not only involved in the warfare, but their militias and armies are directly implicated from day-one. The Amhara Regional State President have been openly campaigned for monetary support for the war. So, I understand why the TDF enters Amhara.

The TDF reveals today:

Strict warning from the Tigray Defense Forces TDF:

Tigray Defense Forces are currently operating in the Amhara region; That is, with the full cooperation of the residents of Sekota, Kobo and Weldiya (Woldia) areas. He intensified his military campaign. In addition, the Tigray Defense Forces (TDF) is also active in the Afar region. The same support is being given to the brotherly people of Afar; He continued his military campaign. In this case, the people of the Amhara and Afar regions where the TDF operates:

Weapons that you have previously acquired or given to you by the government; They are yours.

We want to let you know that no one can touch you. in order to do so;

1st. Keep the weapons in your hands in your home;

2nd. You must never shoot at members of the Tigray Defense Forces

And if you do these two things, Tigray Defense Forces will not disarm you.

We would like to inform you.” (TDF, 20.07.2021).

So, this is a further escalation of the TDF, but that happens as the Federal Government has been redeploying troops as well. Instead of waiting inside Tigray for the attacks. The TDF have gone to the frontline of the enemies who are coming for them. That is the reason for this. We are seeing the war becoming different and the TDF is able to go after RSF and ENDF outside of the Tigray region.

This is just days after the TDF entered Afar and now they have done so in Amhara as well. Peace.