- Written by Kalkidan Yveltal
- BBC News, Addis Ababa
image source, Getty Images
Two years of conflict and this year’s drought have left many in desperate situations.
Ethiopia’s war-scarred Tigray region is “on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe” comparable to the 1984-85 famine that prompted the global Live Aid fundraising event, regional leaders say. Stated.
The harshly worded statement said “hunger and death” was in the air in the northern region.
Federal authorities deny the existence of famine.
Until November last year, Tigray region and the central government were at war.
Hundreds of thousands of people are believed to have died as a result of the 24-month conflict between federal forces and their Tigrayan allies.
The conflict has disrupted agricultural livelihoods, displaced hundreds of thousands of people, destroyed critical infrastructure and left Tigray in a highly vulnerable situation.
Drought and locust infestations in some areas have since worsened the situation, Tigray Interim Government President Getachew Reda said.
His statement said 91% of the region’s population is currently “at risk of starvation.”
Mr. Getachew’s government took office after a peace agreement was reached last year.
Local authorities have previously said hundreds of people have starved to death in recent months. Recent UN Reports He spoke about the “intensifying food security crisis” in Tigray.
In November, the United States and the United Nations announced they would resume food aid to Ethiopia, which had been suspended due to theft charges.
The interim government called on the Ethiopian federal government and the international community to intervene to save lives.
However, the Ethiopian Federal Disaster Risk Management Commission denied reports of famine in Ethiopia, adding that the government was stepping up efforts to provide assistance to people affected by the drought.
