UN Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres says many areas in Ethiopia's Tigray region are "on the
brink of starvation."
He warned that the
situation in the region could worsen if aid and assistance is not improved.
"The steps we are
taking now to make a difference will make a big difference in the lives of many
people," he said.
The United Nations
warned last week of the worst of the 1980s famine.
UN humanitarian chief
Mark Lowcock told the BBC last week that hundreds of thousands of people in the
Tigray region were now at risk of starvation.
Residents of Kafta
Humera, in the western part of Tigray State, told the BBC they were on the
verge of starvation.
According to residents,
bandits have looted their property and livestock and now have nothing to eat.
Residents also said
they wanted to travel to Shire for humanitarian assistance, but that travel was
restricted by local militias and that there were transportation problems.
"No one has given
us any help. Almost everyone is on the verge of death. The color of our eyes is
changing. The situation is dangerous," a resident told the BBC.
Residents also called
on the government and aid agencies to provide assistance before the situation
worsens.
Residents said they had
seen aid trucks passing by, but no one had asked about their condition.
The western Tigray Zone
has been under the control of the Amhara Regional State Special Forces and
Militia since November 2020 and has reportedly used the crisis in the Tigray
Region to control the area.
Earlier, a member of
the Tigray Interim Administration told the BBC that the Amhara regional government
was controlling some areas in the western and southern zones and that they did
not know about the situation of one million people in the area.
Local government
administrator Eshete Demlew told the BBC that the federal government was not
providing assistance to local residents and that limited support was being
provided only in Amhara.
Residents said they
were aware of the problem in the area. But he also said that the situation was
beyond their control.
Recently, the United
Nations, the United States, the European Union, and international aid agencies
have been pushing for the prime minister's administration to do more to end the
conflict and help those affected.
The United Nations has
warned of a repeat of the devastating famine in Ethiopia in 1984 and called for
an immediate ceasefire.
The federal government
has been distributing large amounts of humanitarian aid to various parts of
Tigray since the beginning of the conflict.
The fighting erupted in
late October after TPLF forces attacked federal government military bases in
the Tigray region, leaving scores of residents homeless.
The United Nations
estimates that 1.8 million people are in need of food aid.
He said the Ethiopian
government is working to reach the most vulnerable people in the region and is
working with international aid agencies to provide the necessary support.
By BBC
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