According to Andrew Mitchell, the UK’s Africa minister, the possibility of a humanitarian disaster in northern Ethiopia is increasing. This statement was made after his two-day visit to the region.
Mitchell stated on Monday that we have the chance to prevent a potential humanitarian disaster from occurring. However, immediate action is necessary.
The nation is facing the consequences of a prolonged drought caused by El Niño and violent conflict. This includes the recent two-year war in the northern area of Tigray, which concluded in November 2022.
Great Britain, known for prioritizing Ethiopia, is gradually undoing significant reductions to its assistance efforts. During his visit, Mitchell held a meeting with the Ethiopian leader, Abiy Ahmed, in Addis Ababa and also journeyed to the Tigray regional headquarters, Mekelle. The main point conveyed during his trip was the urgency for immediate aid preparation in order to prevent a famine.
Mitchell, like numerous other Foreign Office ministers, has been focused on addressing the urgent issue in Gaza. However, he is concerned that other equally significant crises, like the one in Ethiopia, have been overlooked by the global community.
“According to him, a large number of individuals in northern Ethiopia are currently experiencing food shortages. The combination of war, particularly the Tigray conflict, and the effects of climate change have severely damaged crop yields and forced people to leave their homes.”
Mitchell received information that one million individuals were forced to leave their homes and three million were experiencing severe food insecurity and hunger.
International organizations have been attempting to assist around 6.6 million individuals who require aid. Recently, the United Nations reported that the number of severely malnourished individuals is expected to reach 10.8 million during the lean season from July to September.
According to the UN, malnutrition levels in some areas of Afar, Amhara, Tigray, and other regions have exceeded the internationally recognized crisis standards. However, the current situation does not meet the criteria for a famine.
The United Kingdom has established a fund aimed at reducing preventable deaths, with a focus on children, especially those under the age of five, as well as pregnant and postpartum women.
The program, worth £100 million, aims to aid over 3 million Ethiopians by establishing 75 health centers to address malnutrition and other avoidable causes of death. This includes improving availability of family planning assistance, medication, and childhood vaccinations for diseases like malaria and cholera.
Ethiopia ranks fourth in the world for the number of maternal deaths, with 10,000 mothers losing their lives each year due to pregnancy and childbirth-related issues. A significant number of these fatalities could have been avoided through basic care such as medication, nutritional supplements, clean water, and access to sanitary facilities at healthcare centers.
Mitchell stated that the current crisis serves as a reminder to the global community. The shortage of food has reached a crucial point, and conflict has resulted in the displacement of people and destruction of necessary infrastructure. Additionally, the effects of climate change and El Niño have contributed to the displacement of 400,000 people in the Somali region of Ethiopia in November of last year.
Countless individuals are caught in a cycle of displacement, starvation, and desperation. As always, those who suffer the most are the most susceptible, particularly women and children.
It is crucial for the global community to support Ethiopia and collaborate with our government and international allies to stop and undo this crisis. In a region that has suffered from famine before, we must intensify international actions to prevent a significant crisis in the near future.
The leader of the temporary government in Tigray, Getachew Reda, has stated that 91% of the people living in the semi-arid area are in danger of starvation and death. He is urging the federal government in Addis Ababa to provide assistance.
Source: theguardian.com
