Red Cross: Tens of thousands’ Could Starve to Death in Ethiopia’s Tigray

 By Staff, Agencies

The Ethiopian Red Cross Society confirmed that 80% of Ethiopia’s northern, conflict-torn Tigray region has been completely cut off from humanitarian aid, warning that tens of thousands could starve to death as a result of the alarming situation there.

Abera Tola, the president of the Ethiopian Red Cross Society, made the remarks in a press conference on Wednesday, as fighting between Ethiopian troops and armed rebels continued in the restive region.

“Eighty percent of the Tigray is unreachable at this particular time,” Abera said, adding that some cases of starvation had already been reported and the figures could climb fast.

He further stated: “The number today could be one, two, or three, but you know, after a month it means thousands. After two months it will be tens of thousands.”

Abera said access had remained largely restricted to main roads north and south of the regional capital, Mekelle, excluding most rural areas.

Once humanitarian workers are able to reach Tigray’s rural areas, “there, we will see a more devastating crisis,” he said, adding that, “We have to get prepared for the worst.”

The official said the displaced civilians who had managed to reach camps in Tigray were “emaciated.”

“You see their skin is really on their bones. You don’t see any food in their body,” he said. “Sometimes it is also really difficult to help them without some kind of high nutritional value foods.”

The Ethiopian Red Cross now estimates that around 3.8 million of Tigray’s roughly six million people need humanitarian assistance, up from an earlier estimate of 2.4 million, Abera said.

 The conflict is estimated to have displaced 950,000 people, some 50,000 of whom into Sudan, according to the UN.

Meanwhile, Francesco Rocca, the president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, who visited Tigray this week, described the plight of the people displaced by the conflict as “unbearable.”

“The situation there is one of the most difficult I’ve ever seen. The people there are missing almost everything,” Rocca said.

“People in Tigray need everything: food and food items, water and sanitation, medical supplies, and mobile clinics. And humanitarian organizations need access to Tigray to reach the most vulnerable,” he said.