Delayed UN Humanitarian Convoys Reach Ethiopia’s Tigray

A UN spokesman said humanitarian aid began arriving in the northern region of Tigray, Ethiopia, after the region was blocked by a government military attack in early November.

Combat has intensified since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched a military operation targeting Tigray’s ruling party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).

“Our WFP (World Food Program) colleagues managed to get a convoy yesterday. 18 trucks delivered 570 metric tons of food,” said UN spokesman Stephane.・ Dujaric said.

The United Nations has complained this week about its lack of access to humanitarian aid.

The United Nations says humanitarian convoys have begun to arrive in the devastated Tigray region of the Ethiopian conflict.
AFP / EDUARDO SOTERAS

The convoy went to Adiharsh and Maiaini camps, which mainly accepted refugees from Eritrea and carried supplies to feed 35,000 refugees a month.

“Supplies will be distributed in the coming days, and other convoys are heading to other camps,” said Dujaric.

“We are still looking for complete, unhindered humanitarian access that is very important to reach the displaced people in Tigray and even those who are staying at home.”

On Saturday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) worked with Ethiopian authorities to deliver the first convoy to Mek’ele, the capital of Tigray.

Last year’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Ahmed, declared victory after federal troops occupied Mek’ele in late November, but the United Nations has since reported fighting in multiple parts of the region.