UN says humanitarian situation in Ethiopia’s Tigray region ‘remains deeply concerning’
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on Thursday said the humanitarian situation across Ethiopia’s conflict-affected northernmost Tigray regional state “remains deeply concerning.”
“Many refugees, internally displaced persons and host communities have endured more than three months of conflict with extremely limited assistance, leading to a significant escalation in humanitarian needs,” the UNHCR said in its latest situation update issued on Thursday.
According to the UNHCR, the security situation “remains volatile” especially in rural areas, and in and around Shire, affecting civilians and constraining humanitarian actors on the ground.
The UNHCR, however, said basic services have gradually resumed in parts of Tigray. It also stressed that electricity and banking services remain intermittent.
On Wednesday, Ethiopian authorities said sabotage on electricity lines has left the region in total darkness.
In a press statement, the Ethiopia Electricity Power (EEP), said sabotage by “Junta remnants” on a high voltage electricity transmission line carrying electricity from Alamata city in southern Tigray to Mekelle, the Tigray regional capital, has forced the region to be in a total electricity blackout.
The EEP said it’s working to repair the damaged high voltage electricity line. “Junta remnants” is used to refer to forces aligned with the ex-ruling party of the Tigray region, Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which is now forced to operate in rural parts of the region.
According to Ethiopian government figures, the Tigray region conflict has resulted in the displacement of around 2.2 million people, while 4.5 million people in total are in need of emergency aid.
Source: GNA