BERLIN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th November, 2020) Germany will increase its humanitarian aid for Ethiopia by 5 million Euros (about $6 million) over the escalation of tensions in the northern region of Tigray, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said.
"Ethiopia and the neighboring countries have already fought with the consequences of floods, locust outbreak and COVID-19 this year. The situation has been aggravated by the military conflict in the Tigray region. This is dangerous. We have decided to raise the humanitarian aid for Ethiopia by 5 million euros to urgently respond to the emergency situation and provide it with vital assistance," Maas said on late Thursday, as quoted by the Foreign Ministry.
He also called for the political settlement of the military conflict in Tigray that should include the de-escalation of tensions, the launch of dialogue and reforms by the Ethiopian government. The minister also called on parties to the conflict to accept mediation proposals.
The fighting in Ethiopia's north broke out in early November after the Federal government accused the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the ruling party in the Tigray region, of attacking a local military base.
The Ethiopian armed forces have launched an operation in the defiant region. The prime minister's office announced a state of emergency in Tigray for a period of six months. About 40,000 people have reportedly fled to Sudan over the escalation of tensions.
The TPLF has been in opposition to the incumbent government. In September, it asked the cabinet to hold local elections, which were earlier postponed over COVID-19. After getting a rejection, the party organized elections on its own which the central government never recognized as legitimate.
