AFRICA. Ethiopia: The World Health Organization (WHO), Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has cautioned the global leaders about the lack of attention to the lingering Ethiopia’s Tigray crisis. And ask if they are neglected because of their skin colour.
Ghebreyesus, who made the call during an emotional press briefing, described the Tigray crisis as “the worst disaster on Earth”. He added that the crisis in his home country, Ethiopia, is worse than another humanitarian crisis worldwide and deserves quick intervention by the world leaders.
I wonder if the reason global leaders have not responded is due to “the colour of the skin of the people in Tigray”, Ghebreyesus asked.
“Nowhere in the world you would see this level of cruelty, where a government (that) punishes 6 million of its people for over 21 months,” the WHO chief said. “The only thing we ask is, ‘Can the world come back to its senses and uphold humanity?'”
He continued by saying that the six million people of Tigray, have been disconnected from the rest of the world and are under siege for over 21 months.
He described the Ukraine conflict as a crisis that has the global community potentially “sleepwalking into a nuclear war” that could be “the mother of all problems,” but argued the disaster in Tigray was far worse.
“I haven’t heard in the last few months the head of states talking about the Tigray situation anywhere in the developed world, Why?” Ghebreyesus asked.
The crisis in Ethiopia started two years ago. At first, the people and global leaders were concerned about the situation, and humanitarian help was coming after noticing Tigray was taking much of the region. But it is still inadequate to meet the needs of the millions of people essentially trapped in the country.
Meanwhile, the International Committee of Red Cross has in recent times ordered the delivery of some medications to the region, Ghebreyesus said.
The conflict in Ethiopia began in November 2020 and little humanitarian aid has arrived after Tigray forces retook much of the region in June 2021. Aid has begun to flow more substantially in the past few months, but is widely described as insufficient to meet the needs of millions of people. people basically trapped there.
Tedros said the people of Tigray had no access to medicine and telecommunications and were prevented from leaving the region. However, the International Committee of the Red Cross has reported shipments of some medicines in recent months.
Ghebreyesus, therefore, called on both the Ethiopian and Russian governments to end the crises in Tigray and Ukraine for peace.
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