Twenty injured people treated at hospitals supported by MSF
“The indiscriminate shooting of people far from a front line is shocking—in a public place, in a big town, in a busy moment of the day,” said Maricarmen Viñoles, the head of MSF’s emergency unit. “We urge all armed parties to this conflict to protect and respect people’s lives.”
“More than one million people have been displaced, and fighting continues. Access and security remain serious i”Sexual and gender-based violence has also been used systematically,”
“The volatile situation and fighting on the ground continue to restrict the humanitarian response. There remains a strong need to urge all parties about the need to respect international humanitarian law and international refugee law,”
“More than one million people have been displaced, and fighting continues. Access and security remain serious issues.
“This is a protection crisis. What is emerging is a disturbing picture of severe and ongoing child rights violations.
“This is also an education and nutrition emergency, and I saw extensive destruction to the systems and essential services on which children rely.
He said more than a million people were displaced, noting that fighting was continuing, and security remained a major issue. UNICEF had been “concerned from the onset about the harm that this is going to cause children, and unfortunately such fears are being realized.”
“What is really emerging now is a disturbing picture of severe and ongoing child violations, there is also unfortunately an education and nutrition emergency and I saw extensive destruction to systems on essential services that children rely on.”
“Humanitarians absolutely need unhindered access to populations in need, and we are concerned about the fact that there are populations that we haven’t yet been able to reach,” said Emily Dakin, the senior U.S. Agency for International Development official leading the U.S. response in Tigray.
More 500 rape cases have been reported, the United Nations said in late March, although the number is likely higher. The top health official in Tigray’s interim government told Reuters last week, “Women are being kept in sexual slavery.”
In January, WFP assisted 1.7 million people, including drought and floodaffected people, internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees, and malnourished children and pregnant and lactating women and girls (PLWG0.
WFP assisted over 694,100 refugees through the distribution of in-kind food and cash-based transfers (CBT) in 22 refugee camps and seven sites. In total, WFP distributed 11,217 mt of food items and transferred USD 657,500 in cash.
the safety and security of humanitarian personnel must be ensured, in accordance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL). Since the beginning of the conflict in Tigray, the EU, together with its Member States, has been one of the largest humanitarian donors to the crisis and has been consistently advocating for the respect of IHL, including the obligation to protect civilians. I reiterate this call once more, condemning all crimes against civilians, including rape, and calling the perpetrators to be swiftly brought to justice.”
“People urgently need food and nutrition support. They are keen to resume their previous livelihoods activities, but they need support to acquire inputs, and most of all, they need stability and safety. Households in Eastern Tigray rely heavily on livestock, as well as on daily labor and petty trade. The continued instability and fear of displacement and looting means many are not yet ready to begin reinvesting in other livelihoods.”
Drought-related displacement affects more and more people, but it is not the only type of displacement Ethiopia faces. More than a million new displacements associated with conflict and violence were also recorded in 2019.3
As aid must also be directed to people affected by inter-communal conflicts, humanitarian aid available to people displaced by drought has ended up being insufficient.
“Humanitarian needs, even basic survival needs like food security, health and shelter, are growing. What is more, violence is increasing in several parts of the country … On top of that, five months into the conflict, the situation in Tigray remains severe despite slight improvements, keeping millions of people in need of assistance, especially in rural and hard-to-reach areas,”
