Ethiopia: Red Cross sends medicines, relief supplies to Mekelle to fortify paralyzed health care facilities

Addis Ababa / Geneva (ICRC) – A convoy carrying medicines and relief supplies from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS), organized in coordination with the Ethiopian authorities, has reached the Tigray State capital, Mekelle.

Health care facilities there have become paralyzed after supplies of drugs and basics like surgical gloves ran out. It is the first international aid to arrive in Mekelle since fighting erupted in Tigray more than one month ago.

Ayder Hospital shuttered its intensive care unit and surgical theatre due to the lack of medical supplies and fuel to run the generator, which the units depend on for electricity. In late November, the hospital received an influx of people wounded in fighting. It has also struggled to provide care for chronic and routine medical needs, including diabetes, dialysis, and maternity and delivery services. It is the main referral hospital for Mekelle’s 500,000 people.

“Doctors and nurses have been forced to make impossible choices of which services to continue, and which services to cut, after going weeks without new supplies, running water, and electricity,” said Patrick Youssef, International Committee of the Red Cross’ (ICRC) regional director for Africa, following a visit to Addis Ababa. “This medical shipment will inject new stocks, help patients, and reduce those impossible life-or-death triage decisions.”

The seven Red Cross trucks are carrying medicines and supplies to care for more than 400 trauma patients as well as items needed to treat chronic and routine medical conditions. These supplies will be donated to Ayder Hospital, the Regional Health Bureau, and the ERCS pharmacy in Mekelle. In addition, ICRC’s team in Mekelle has been working to get the hospital fuel to run its generator as well as water.

The Federal Ministry of Health also delivered medical supplies to Mekelle’s health facilities today.

“The supplies will make an immediate and lifesaving difference to the people who today are going without access to medical care,” said Youssef. “We expect that many health care facilities in Tigray are facing the same challenges as Ayder Hospital and urgently need support.”

The Red Cross convoy also brought blankets, tarpaulins, kitchen sets, clothes, soap, and jerrycans that can help about 1,000 families forced from their homes by the fighting as well as equipment to improve access to water and sanitation.

At the same time, ICRC teams are in North Amhara and West Tigray, where they are distributing relief items to displaced families and assessing the humanitarian needs caused by the fighting. The ICRC has so far provided medicines and medical supplies to seven health care facilities in Amhara that have received patients injured in fighting. In addition to medical supplies, the ICRC is working with hospitals to support the long-term physical rehabilitation needs of people who suffered amputations because of weapon-related injuries.

The ICRC counts on the financial support of the international community to deliver humanitarian assistance in Ethiopia. The ICRC has an overall budget of CHF 27 million in Ethiopia, of which CHF 10 million has not been funded.

#ICRC

 

The cabinet endorsed Ethiopia’s 10-year perspective plan

Today the cabinet endorsed #Ethiopia’s 10-year perspective plan which will enable the country’s high growth trajectory and position Ethiopia as an African beacon of prosperity.

The plan consists of 10 pillars with unique focus areas on peacebuilding and institutional transformation

The Council of Ministers also approved the draft Media Proclamation which governs print and broadcast media, also introducing a legal framework for online media.

Outlining roles and responsibilities in the sector, the proclamation will bolster freedom of expression and press freedoms.

#PMOEthiopia

On Irregular movement of Eritrean Refugees

Ethiopia has a very long, and cherished history of hospitality and generosity to people who are forcibly displaced due to man-made and natural calamities. Currently, the Government of Ethiopia is providing protection to nearly one million refugees mainly from South Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, and Sudan. These refugees are now hosted in 26 camps and non-camp locations.

The majority of these refugees in Ethiopia live in camps where they are provided with adequate protection and social services including food and non-food items, water and sanitation, shelter, healthcare, education, and other amenities. The Government through its “Out of Camp Policy” has entitled refugees and asylum seekers to live at a place of their choice outside refugee camp or settlement including in our capital, Addis Ababa provided that they cover their full costs by themselves or through their relatives, friends, or others who commit to supporting them. This has given opportunities to refugees to be productive members and enjoy normal life among the community. However, the procedure to apply for out of camp life needs to be processed in the camps in the interest of accountability and qualification purpose.

The Ethiopia refugee operation is now home to close to 200,000 Eritrean refugees across the country. Most of them are mainly sheltered in Tigray and Afar regions as well as in Addis Ababa.

The recently concluded law enforcement military operation by the Federal Government in the Tigray region of Ethiopia was not a direct threat to the Eritrean refugees who are living within and outside the camps. However, a large number of misinformed Eritrean refugees are moving out in an irregular manner particularly from Mai-Ayni and Adi-Harush refugee camps to Addis Ababa. Such an unregulated movement of the refugees with high dependence on aid will create difficulties in ensuring their safety, security, dignity, and in providing a coordinated protection and assistance. Given the priority the government gives to humanitarian assistance, the refugees were kept in a dignified manner and sheltered and nurtured by the government.

Simultaneously, the Government is working tirelessly to fully reactivate and continue provision of critical lifesaving services to the refugees as well as to ensure a safe and secured operating environment for frontline responders. As a result of which transportation of food to the camps is underway among other things. At this point in time, the areas in Tigray region in which the Eritrean refugee camps are situated are stable given that they are under the full control of the Federal Government.

With that understanding, therefore, the Government is safely returning those refugees to their respective camps where they can have access to service delivery systems, and more importantly they can live lawfully and peacefully with the communities that host them.

ETHIOPIA STATE OF EMERGENCY FACT CHECK Twitter: @SOEFactCheck Facebook: EthiopiaSOEFactCheck

Humanitarian Assistance in the Tigray Region, Ethiopia

“The Federal government takes its responsibility to citizen safety and well-being seriously and is committed to ensuring that vulnerable communities in Tigray region are provided the necessary humanitarian assistance. Reports to the contrary are results of a misinformation campaign by those that are bent on undermining the Federal government. ”
#PMOEthiopia

 

Ethio Telecom Claims Regional Operations in Meqelle Tampered With

Footage has been released by Ethio telecom today depicting what looks like armed forces pushing themselves into the compound of the company’s core office in Meqelle, the seat of Tigray Regional State, on November 4, 2020. In the footage, personnel of Ethio telecom are forced out, and it further shows armed militia turning off the power distribution sources.

Footage from the CCTV, which was functional only until November 4, was shared by the company’s CEO, Frehiwot Tamiru, at a press conference this morning at Skylight Hotel. The findings came after a physical examination of the core site following the federal government resuming control of Meqelle city, according to the CEO.

“We took steps to ascertain security immediately after notification following the law enforcement operations,” said Frehiwot. “We weren’t able to explain until today.”

The region is one of 17 regional classifications under the operational infrastructure of the company outside of Addis Abeba. Communications lines in the regional state were completely cut off following the conflict that broke out between the federal government and Tigray Regional State on November 4, 2020.

Frehiwot also added that the system was turned off completely wit no alarms beforehand and no way to ascertain developments at the site.

“We were confused,” she said. “To have a blackout that put us in a crisis and have no alarms set off.”

The cyberattack has been attempted on multiple government organisations, according to the CEO.

These include denial of service and unauthorized access on educational, media and finance systems among others. Nearly three billion attacks were attempted on a daily average, according to her presentation.

Log sheets from the company show that illegal attempts to infiltrate the system were made on November 8, and attempts were partially successful on November 20, that made telecom services somewhat possible, according to Frehiwot.

Currently the country’s sole telecom operator, Ethio telecom is working with the interim government and security apparatus to restore and repair the infrastructure.

Alamata has full restoration of telecom services, while six other cities like Mai-Kadra and Humera are partially restored. Staff reachability and transmission outage have been mentioned by the CEO as obstacles of restoration so far.
#addisfortune

Ministry of Peace confers with the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordination Office in Ethiopia

The meeting reviewed the practicalities to carry out humanitarian activities in the northern part of Ethiopia in accordance with the mutually agreed-upon sets of procedures stipulated in the bilateral agreement entered between the Ethiopian government and the UN for coordination of humanitarian activities on 29 November 2020.

The meeting, chaired by the Minister of Peace, Mufrihat Kamil, was attended by the UN Resident Representative and Humanitarian Coordinator, Dr. Catherine Sozi, and other senior Ethiopian Government and UN officials.

Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed and President Uhuru Kenyatta inaugurate the one stop border post in Moyale

Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed and President Uhuru Kenyatta inaugurated the one stop border post in #Moyale on December 9, 2020. The inauguration of the border post is expected to facilitate trade between the two countries by cutting down inefficiencies at the Moyale border.

The two leaders also inaugurated the #Hawassa – #Moyale 500km asphalt road, which is the Ethiopia component of the Cape to Cairo Trans – Africa highway. Together with the one stop border post infrastructural investment, both aim to boost #Ethiopia-#Kenya trade ties.

#PMOEthiopia

 

Ambassador Redwan Hussien and Commissioner Mitiku Kasa give briefings on current situations in Tigray

Ambassador Redwan Hussien and Commissioner Mitiku Kasa give briefings on current situations in Tigra
State of Emergency Spokesperson, H.E. Ambassador Redwan Hussien, and Disaster Risk Management Commissioner H.E. Mitiku Kasa gave a briefing today (December 08) to the media about the current situation in Tigray, particularly on the humanitarian assistance activities in the region.

Ambassador Redwan reiterated that the government is in the latest phase of its law enforcement operation that gives priority to restoring infrastructure and rehabilitation of the affected people.

The hideouts of the TPLF criminals have already been identified and apprehending them would be materialized soon, the ambassador added.

He also talked about complaints of some aid agencies and the media for not getting easy access to the region and the presence of some bottlenecks in related issues.

Ambassador Redwan said all people, including humanitarian agencies need to align their operations with the directions given by the federal government about operation rules in the region, not only out of respect to the sovereignty of the country but for their own safety too.

Mr. Mitiku Kasa, on his part, talked about the ongoing humanitarian assistance in the region with a particular emphasis on coordination mechanisms between government organizations and non-governmental aid agencies.

He said the government is running the humanitarian assistance project through forming about 10 cluster arrangements that coordinate government agencies and the non-government ones based on the type of assistance that the people in Tigray need.

According to Mr. Mitiku, the arrangements include, among others, clusters on agriculture and livestock, water and sanitation, health, nutrition, food and non-food items, logistics, women and children.

The humanitarian assistance begins with the already vulnerable people who were aid recipients even before the commencement of the law enforcement operation in Tigray, he said.

However, he said, people who need humanitarian support and other locations in Tigray would further be identified with the cooperation of the interim government in Tigray.

He finally underscored that Aid agencies should cooperate with the government-led humanitarian support program for scores of reasons, including the rich experience of the country in handling such issues during drought, conflict, flood, and other disasters.

#MoFA