EU Warns Over Blocking Of Aid To Ethiopia's Tigray

Brussels, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th May, 2021 ) :The European Union on Friday condemned the ongoing blocking of humanitarian aid to Ethiopia's conflict-hit Tigray region and warned that those responsible would be "held to account".

"The reality on the ground shows that blockades by military forces are severely impeding the ability for assistance to reach rural areas, where the humanitarian crisis is at the worst level," a statement from foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and crisis management commissioner Janez Lenarcic said.

"At least 5.2 million people out of 5.7 million in Tigray are in need of emergency food assistance. According to the UN, only about 12 per cent of the three million people in need of emergency shelter and non-food items, have been reached since 3 May." The statement said "the use of humanitarian aid as a weapon of war is a grave violation of international humanitarian law and is putting at risk the lives of millions of people".

"Those responsible for deliberately preventing timely access will be held to account," it concluded.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops into Tigray in November after accusing the once dominant regional ruling party of orchestrating attacks on Federal army camps.

Nobel Peace prize winner Abiy declared victory later that month when the army entered the regional capital Mekele.

But fighting continues and the six-month conflict has sparked allegations of massacres and rape by Ethiopian forces and troops from neighbouring Eritrea.

World leaders and aid agencies have repeatedly called for full humanitarian access to the crisis-wracked areas as fears grow of impending humanitarian disaster.

Eritrean troops have been accused of being involved in blocking and looting food supplies -- despite pledges that they would be pulled out from the country.

The EU statement repeated the bloc's calls for the "immediate withdrawal" of Eritrean forces.

The EU announced in December it was postponing nearly 90 million Euros ($109 million) in budget support payments to Ethiopia.

Officials from the bloc say that funding would not resume without unfettered humanitarian access and an "independent, credible" investigation of rights abuses committed during the conflict.