Ethiopian crisis: UN forced to abort humanitarian aid flight into Tigray; US warns of financial sanctions
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - A UN humanitarian aid flight destined for the capital of the Tigray region in northern Ethiopia, was forced to return to Addis Ababa due to airstrikes on Friday, raising “serious concerns” for the safety of staff working on the ground, said the UN’s Emergency Relief Coordinator in a statement.
The airstrikes in Tigray’s capital Mekelle, Tigray region, threatened the safety of UN staff who are simply there “working to help civilians in humanitarian need”, said relief chief Martin Griffiths, who heads up the humanitarian affairs office (OCHA).
“The UN had not received any prior warning of the attacks on Mekelle and had received the necessary clearances for the flight,” he emphasised.
The Ethiopian government has admitted carrying out air strikes at arms manufacturing and repair sites being used by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the regional government that it calls terrorists.
The state-owned Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) quoted the government as saying the Ethiopian Air Force conducted an airstrike on Friday on a former Defence Force military base, "now a training base and a battle network hub of the TPLF terrorist group in Mekelle".
"The Ethiopian Air Force carried out the airstrikes with extreme caution targeting only communication and military training facilities used by the terrorist group," ENA quoted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as saying in a statement.
The US has warned that it impose targeted sanctions against those responsible for the ongoing crisis in northern Ethiopia.
After heavy fighting erupted last November between Government troops and those loyal to the TPLF, some 5.2 million people remain in need of assistance across the Ethiopian regions of Tigray, Amhara and Afar.
A UN statement said amidst allegations of widespread human rights abuses on all sides, thousands are feared killed and more than two million have been forced to flee their homes.
It said over the past few months, killings, lootings and the destruction of health centres and farms, including irrigation systems that are vital to production, have triggered an even larger surge in humanitarian need.
“UN and non-Governmental organizations are making every effort to continue delivering assistance to millions of people in desperate need in Tigray, Amhara and Afar,” said Mr. Griffiths.
“Conflict dynamics make this increasingly difficult,” he added.
Meanwhile, as air strikes on Mekelle continue and humanitarian assistance into Tigray remains insufficient, Mr. Griffiths reiterated the UN’s grave concern for the safety and welfare of civilians.
“I am also increasingly alarmed about the impact of fighting in Amhara and Afar regions and the worsening toll on civilians,” he said.
He underscored that “all precautions must be taken” to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.
“Under international humanitarian law, all parties to the conflict must take constant care to spare civilians and civilian objects from harm, including humanitarian personnel and assets,” Mr. Griffiths said.
In another development, the US has warned that it is considering the full range of tools at its disposal to address the worsening crisis in northern Ethiopia, and that includes the use of financial sanctions.
Last month the US administration authorised the Treasury Department – in consultation with us, the State Department – to impose sanctions in connection with the conflict, including on those in the Ethiopian Government, the Eritrean Government, the TPLF, the Amhara regional government, who are responsible for or complicit in prolonging the conflict, obstructing humanitarian access, or preventing a ceasefire.
Ned Price said at a media briefing in Washington on Friday that the administration is "absolutely prepared" to take action under this executive order to impose targeted sanctions against those responsible for the ongoing crisis.
The administration is at the same time taking measures to mitigate any unintended effects of any sanctions imposed under this order on the people of Ethiopia and the wider region.
"Even as we look at ways to potentially hold accountable the perpetrators of these acts, our cardinal rule is to do nothing that would harm the people of Ethiopia. We also seek to ensure personal remittances to non-sanctioned persons, humanitarian assistance to at-risk populations, and longer-term assistance programmes and commercial activities that address basic human needs to continue to flow to Ethiopia and the greater Horn of Africa region through legitimate and transparent channels," Price said.
-0- PANA MA 24Oct2021
