Addis Ababa, December 17, 2022 (FBC) – The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths said that humanitarian access into the Tigray region has continued to improve since the peace agreement.
Food and other supplies are being transported through four corridors through Afar and Amhara regions into Tigray, Between 15 November and 8 December, the Government of Ethiopia and partners have mobilized more than 1,600 trucks to deliver more than 63,800 metric tons of food and more than 4,000 metric tons of health, shelter, education, protection supplies, as well as water, sanitation and hygiene supplies, Martin Griffiths indicated.
“Airlifts of nutrition and health supplies have also been delivered, while regular humanitarian passenger flights have been flying in much needed human capacity to scale up the response. The first humanitarian convoy movement for staff from Mekelle to Shire, within Tigray, also took place on 9 December and have continued since.”
“However, given the scale of the needs and the previous interruptions to aid, we need to ensure these deliveries are sustained at scale,” he added.
Meanwhile, electric lines and telecommunications have started being restored in several places, including in Axum and Shire towns. This has a positive impact on humanitarian operations and communities, he noted.
Assistance and rehabilitation work in conflict-affected areas in Afar and Amhara are also being scaled up, but more is needed especially in areas where displaced populations are returning following improved security, the Coordinator said.