Saudi Arabia offers condolences to Iran following deadly Bandar Abbas port explosion    Saudi Arabia welcomes Palestinian leadership reforms, appointment of Hussein Al-Sheikh    SFDA clears first 44-ton medical shipment for Hajj pilgrims    Over 13 million worshipers pray at Rawdah Sharif in a year    Ministry of Hajj issued over 150,000 Nusuk cards for the Hajj of 2025    Saudi Arabia deports 12,866 illegal residents in a week    Pope Francis laid to rest at historic funeral in Rome    Massive explosion at Iran's Shahid Rajaee Port injures over 500 people    Saudi orchestra to perform at Sydney Opera House in May    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Nammos Amala Resort to open soon with Saudi-Greek designs    Saudi Arabia completes 674 Vision 2030 initiatives, achieves 93% of KPIs as ninth-year milestone marked    GACA chief chairs 16th meeting of the Steering Committee on aviation's strategy    Alkhorayef praises advancements in Al-Kharj food industries sector    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Saudi Arabia open to expanded 64-team World Cup in 2034, says sports minister    Jennifer Lopez dazzles in Jeddah with a Formula 1 performance    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Famed Philippine film star Nora Aunor dies at 71    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Catastrophe 'unfolding before our eyes' in Ethiopia's Tigray region — UN chief
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 27 - 08 - 2021

A military confrontation that started 10 months ago in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region is spreading, with serious political, economic and humanitarian implications for the country and the broader region, the Secretary-General warned the Security Council on Thursday.
"A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding before our eyes", António Guterres warned. "The unity of Ethiopia and the stability of the region are at stake", he added calling for an immediate ceasefire and the launch of national political dialogue.
Outlining the severity of the situation, the UN chief said the military front lines in Tigray have reached the regions of neighboring Amhara and Afar. The government's June 28 declaration of a unilateral ceasefire, and withdrawal of the National Defense Forces from Mekelle have not led to a comprehensive ceasefire.
Tigray remains under a de-facto humanitarian blockade and cut off from electricity and communications, the UN chief informed the Ambassadors.
Dire situation
Guterres said that actors in Ethiopia have entered the fight through mass mobilization and the activation of regional and armed groups. "Inflammatory rhetoric and ethnic profiling are tearing apart the social fabric of the country", he emphasized.
Moreover, the human price of the war is "mounting by the day", as more than two million people have been displaced and millions more are in immediate need of food, water, shelter and health care, said the secretary-general.
At least 400,000 people are living in famine-like conditions, with the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) warning that 100,000 face severe acute malnutrition within the year.
Amid reports of sexual and gender-based violence, refugee camps have been destroyed and hospitals looted. "I condemn these atrocious acts in the strongest possible terms", underscored the Secretary-General. "There must be accountability".
Tigray access limited, empty warehouses
While the organization and its partners have mobilized to reach five million people with food, Guterres said that the response is "severely" constrained by insecurity, delays and a host of arbitrary restrictions on the work of humanitarian agencies.
Overland access into Tigray now depends on a single route, through Afar, which involves passing through numerous checkpoints. At the same time, although agencies require roughly 100 trucks worth of assistance to reach Mekelle every day, no trucks have arrived for over a week.
"Warehouses are now empty," the UN chief lamented.
Beyond Tigray
Beyond Tigray, the conflict in Afar and Amhara has displaced reportedly 300,000 more people, he said, events that have unfolded alongside efforts to maintain broader support across Ethiopia in response to intercommunal violence, flooding and locust infestation.
Guterres said the fighting has drained one billion dollars from Ethiopia's coffers, while noting that debt is mounting. Credit access is drying up, inflation is on the rise and the country is suffering from the fifth-highest incidence of COVID-19 cases on the continent.
End hostilities, launch national dialogue
Against that backdrop, the Secretary-General repeated his call on parties to immediately end hostilities, without preconditions, and to negotiate a lasting ceasefire.
He underscored that foreign forces should leave the country, full humanitarian access be guaranteed for all areas in need, public services restored and conditions created for an inclusive national political dialogue to address the causes of the conflict and ensure Ethiopian voices direct the pathway to peace.
Noting that he has been in close contact with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and similarly received a letter from the President of the Tigray region, Guterres said the UN is ready to work with the African Union and other partners to support dialogue.
"In the period ahead, the attention and unity of the Security Council will be critical", he attested.
Young Ethiopians casualties of 'needless conflict'
The UN chief expressed profound regret over the tragic events unfolding.
"It is heart-breaking to see many young Ethiopians being instrumentalized and mobilized in the war effort" with their energies channeled into a path of division and destruction, rather than one of building a better future for all Ethiopians, he said, calling them "the ultimate casualties in this needless conflict".
"In every sense, the future of Ethiopia is at stake," said the secretary-general. "Let us pledge to do all we can to advance the path of national cohesion and peace — UN News


Clic here to read the story from its source.