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Month: March 2021

International equitable vaccine effort ships 32 million shots to 61 countries 

At the beginning of the year, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had called for countries to work together, so that all States could begin vaccinating within the first 100 days of 2021. 

“177 countries and economies have started vaccination”, he said at a regular press briefing, adding that with just 15 days left before the 100 days are up, 36 countries are still waiting for vaccines so they can start inoculating health workers and older people. 

Waiting for jabs 

Of those countries, 16 are scheduled to receive their first doses from COVAX within the next 15 days, leaving 20 nations waiting. 

“COVAX is ready to deliver, but we can’t deliver vaccines we don’t have”, said Tedros, pointing to the distorting effect of export bans and vaccine diplomacy, which have caused “gross inequities in supply and demand”. 

Moreover, increased demand for shots, and changes of national strategy, have led to delays in securing tens of millions of doses that COVAX was counting on. 

‘Solvable problem’ 

Noting that getting all countries up and running by day 100, is “a solvable problem”, the UN official asked countries with shots cleared for WHO “Emergency Use”, to donate as many as they can as “an urgent stop-gap measure”, so the 20 additional countries can begin vaccinating their healthcare workers and elderly within the next two weeks. 

“COVAX needs 10 million doses immediately”, he said. While acknowledging that contributing doses is “a tough political choice”, he asserted that “there are plenty of countries who can afford to donate doses with little disruption to their own vaccination plans”.  

More in the making  

Currently, many countries who had invested in COVAX in good faith have become frustrated with bilateral deals that have left the vaccine initiative short, said Tedros. 

“WHO and our partners are continuing to work around the clock to find ways to increase production and secure doses”, he added, saying that four more inoculations were being assessed for WHO Emergency Use Listing – at least one of which may be approved by the end of April. 

Seafarers and aircrew, need essential worker status 

In related coverage, five UN agencies on Friday, advocated for prioritizing COVID-19 vaccinations for seafarers and aircrews who have been severely impacted by pandemic-imposed travel restrictions. 

“Seafarers and aircrew need to be protected through vaccination as soon as possible to facilitate their safe movement across borders”, said the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), International Labour Organization (ILO), International Maritime Organization (IMO), International Organization for Migration (IOM) and WHO, in a joint statement. 

As such, they called upon countries that have not done so to “designate seafarers and aircrew as key workers”. 

“We also call on governments to identify and prepare for the challenges of COVID-19 vaccination of seafarers and aircrew, particularly for seafarers spending long periods of time away from their home country”, they added.

100 million more children fail basic reading skills because of COVID-19

According to the study from the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), One year into COVID: Prioritizing education recovery to avoid a generational catastrophe, even before the pandemic the number of children lacking basic reading skills was on a downward curve. 

In 2020, instead of 460 million children experiencing reading difficulties, that number jumped to 584 million. The rise of more than 20 per cent, wiped out two decades of education gains, the agency said.  

Learning losses 

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, complete or partial closures have disrupted schooling for an average of 25 weeks, says the report, with the highest learning losses projected to be in the Latin America and Caribbean region, and in Central and Southern Asia.   

While One year into COVID finds that a return to the pre-pandemic pathway may take a decade, it underscores that recovery could occur by 2024 “if exceptional efforts are made to provide remedial classes and catch-up strategies”.  

According to new data from a joint survey conducted by UNESCO and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), only a quarter of students are benefiting from remedial education.  

Opening doors 

While the number of students impacted by school closures has not significantly changed since the beginning of the pandemic, countries are increasingly taking measures to keep schools at least partially open.  

The report shows that schools are currently fully open in 107 countries, mostly in Africa, Asia and Europe, serving 400 million pre-primary to secondary learners.   

Meanwhile, school closures in 30 countries are impacting some 165 million students.  

At the same time, schools in 70 countries are partially open in various regions, for some grades, or with reduced in-person attendance – affecting about two-thirds of the global student population, or nearly one billion learners.  

Prioritizing education  

To tackle what UNESCO has called a potential “generational catastrophe”, it is calling for schools to reopen with greater support for teachers; initiatives to prevent pupils dropping out, and an acceleration of the availability of digital learning tools.  

Although the recovery must prioritize schooling to mitigate drop out rates, and learning losses, estimates show that 65 per cent of governments in low income countries have reduced education funding, compared to 35 per cent in high income States.  

While fiscal measures could inject more resources into learning, UNESCO calculates that only two per cent of stimulation packages have earmarked money for education. 

Taking stock  

On Monday, UNESCO will convene a meeting with education ministers from all over the world to evaluate COVID-19 learning disruptions and figure out solutions on how to prioritize education recovery to avoid a generational catastrophe. 

The high-level event will also showcase the achievements of UNESCO’s Global Education Coalition and share its first progress report card. 

Launched one year ago to support learning continuity, the Coalition has 170 public, private and civil society partners in some 100 countries.  

At least 400 million learners and 12 million teachers are benefitting directly or indirectly from the Coalition’s actions, including through access to newly established online platforms, educational resources, digitized curricula and training, according to UNESCO.

Myanmar army putting country’s future at risk, UN Special Envoy warns

Christine Schraner Burgener underscored her commitment to efforts to end the crisis that has erupted in the wake of the military coup in early February, saying she remains “deeply disturbed” by ongoing violence committed by the security forces.

“Tomorrow, Armed Forces Day, marks Myanmar’s liberation from foreign power.  Ensuring peace and defending the people should be the responsibility of any military, but in Myanmar, the Tatmadaw has turned against its own citizens”, she said, noting that women, youth and children were among those who have been killed. 

“Women remain a catalyst for peace and have played a leading role in the civil disobedience movements.  Young leaders, who have benefitted from Myanmar’s democratic transition, are key to the nation’s future, which the military is putting at risk”. 

Solidarity with the people 

Ms. Schraner Burgener said she stands “steadfastly in solidarity with the people of Myanmar and their unwavering commitment to peace and the rule of law.” 

She called for the release of political leaders who were detained in the coup, including President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. 

With Myanmar’s New Year festival, Thingyan, approaching in April, the UN Special Envoy further called for maximum restraint and appealed for basic rights and democratic norms to be upheld “in the greater interest of the nation’s prosperity under civilian rule.” 

Ms. Schraner Burgener said she will continue promoting UN efforts towards finding a solution to end the crisis. 

 “The Special Envoy will continue to amplify the Secretary-General’s call for a firm, unified international response, bilaterally and collectively towards the restoration of the democratically elected government of Myanmar, and the Security Council’s calls for a peaceful solution through constructive dialogue and practical reconciliation in the interests of the people of Myanmar,” the statement said.

Deep concern for thousands of Eritrean refugees ‘scattered’ in Ethiopia’s Tigray

UN humanitarians reported on Friday that aid teams have reached two camps for Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia’s war-torn Tigray region for the first time since fighting began in early November, only to find them destroyed and the former occupants “scattered”.

UN refugee agency (UNCHR) spokesperson Boris Cheshirkov told reporters in Geneva that all the humanitarian facilities at the Shimelba and Hitsats refugee camps in the northern Ethiopian region were “looted and vandalised”.

The mission, conducted jointly by UNHCR and the UN humanitarian coordination arm, OCHA, found that most shelters in the Hitsats camp, as well as the UN offices and the staff guest house had been destroyed.

The joint mission had also managed to visit Shiraro town, where refugees were believed to be scattered and “in urgent need of safety and support”.

Urgent assessment

A subsequent mission will aim to identify the numbers living in the area and determine whether UNHCR and the Ethiopian Agency for Refugees and Returnee Affairs (ARRA) could deliver aid there and work out plans for voluntary relocation.

“UNHCR is deeply concerned for the well-being of the Eritrean refugees who had been residing there, all of whom have fled the camps”, Mr. Cheshirkov added.

Around 20,000 refugees had been living in the two camps prior to the crisis erupting last November, when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched a military campaign in Tigray after the region’s governing party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), launched attacks on army camps.

The latest developments follow calls from senior UN officials to end the fighting, as well as an announcement on Thursday by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights that it is launching a probe into alleged serious abuses and rights violations by all parties to the conflict.

President Abiy took to Twitter on Friday to say that the Eritrean Government had agreed to pull its troops out of Tigray. Ethiopian forces will take over guarding the border areas “effective immediately”, he said.

In dire need of assistance

Mr. Cheshirkov said that more than 7,000 former residents of the two camps have either “made their own way or were assisted by Ethiopian authorities to reach the other two Eritrean refugee camps, Mai Aini and Adi Harush”.

He added that UNHCR had also been in contact with more than 2,000 refugees from Hitsats and Shimelba in Shire, Mekelle, Afar, and Addis Ababa.

“All of the displaced people in Shiraro and Shimelba are in dire need of urgent life-saving assistance, including food, shelter, health care, water and sanitation”. he said.

In a statement, the UN refugee agency reiterated its urgent call for “the free and safe movement of affected people in search of safety and assistance” to be enabled by all parties, including movement “across international and within national borders, regardless of their ethnic identification”.

Mr. Cheshirkov added that the agency is planning further missions and “have already started to deploy more staff in the Tigray region”.

To do so, the UNHCR spokesperson noted that “the funding needs are mounting so we do appeal for more support on this situation, both inside Ethiopia but also for those who are  now in Sudan”.

‘Racist lie’ must end, UN chief warns on Remembrance Day for enslaved people 

“We must end the legacy of this racist lie”, Secretary-General António Guterres said at a commemorative meeting of the General Assembly that honoured the memory of the millions of people of African descent who suffered under the brutal system of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade. 

While recalling the resilience of those who endured the “brutal yoke” of slavery, he recognized the trade as creating and sustaining “a global system of exploitation that existed for more than 400 years”.  

The UN chief underscored the need to address the “pernicious and persistent consequences” of slavery and called for renewed commitments to “a world where all can live in peace with dignity and opportunity”. 

Picking up the pieces 

Mr. Guterres also acknowledged the “immense contributions” that the enslaved have brought to culture, education and economies. 

“We honour the memory of the victims of the transatlantic slave trade by educating about its history and acknowledging its impact on our world today”, he said, urging everyone to “tackle racism, injustice and inequality” and build inclusive communities and economies. 

Inherited trauma 

General Assembly President Volkan Bozkır painted a picture of Against enslaved people reduced to chattels and stripped of their freedom, dignity, and identity, summing up that “violence replaced autonomy”. 

“Not only do the descendants of the 15 million victims of the transatlantic slave trade have to grapple with the pain and grief of their ancestors, but every day they navigate a world built by them, but not for them”, he said.  

And as they suffered, working stolen lands and raising the children of their abusers, free men and women benefited from the Industrial Revolution enabled by their slave labour. 

The Assembly president attested to the complicity of those who profited, but did not stand up for the oppressed. 

Modern slavery 

As of 2016, over 40.3 million people were estimated to be enslaved in modern forms, 71 per cent of whom are women and girls.  

“Shockingly, children account for one in four of those enslaved today”, said Mr. Bozkır. 

Widespread job losses, rising poverty, regular migration pathway closures and reduced scrutiny of labour standards that increase vulnerability sparked by COVID-19, not only threaten setbacks aimed at ending modern slavery but also pushes more people towards jobs where they are simply exploited. 

“When society does not tackle the inhumane treatment of our fellow human beings, every individual is complicit”, he underscored, reminding that the UN Charter obliges us to uphold the rights of the people we have pledged to serve.  

Maintaining vigilance 

“We need to be vigilant”, the Assembly president stressed, saying that when those around us look away, and turn their backs on injustice, “each of us has a responsibility to step in.  

He spoke out against “gaslighting” and said we should not shy away from honest discussions over reparatory justice, while urging everyone to continue working to achieve equality and justice for all. 

“I repeat what I expressed last week and let us keep repeating it until it is understood and internalized by all: Black. Lives. Matter.”, Mr. Bozkir concluded. 

‘Global imperative for justice’ 

In an online event headlined “Still We Rise”, the head of UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Natalia Kanem stressed that ending racism, the legacy of enslavement, is “a global imperative for justice”.  

Referring to the events of 2020 she noted that there is a lot of work to do.  

“Today and every day, let us commit to focused, concerted and accelerated action to end racism and discrimination”, said Ms. Kanem. 

The commemoration to stand up to end slavery’s legacy of racism also featured poetry and music, including from hip-hop artist Webster, Peter Gabriel, Yo-Yo Ma and Angélique Kidjo. 

Clikc here to watch the event. 

First Person: ‘No daughter of mine will be cut’

‘I have never felt so much pain in my entire life’

“Today, I curse the practice of female genital mutilation, but as a child I actually looked forward to it: I thought it would mean that I was ready for marriage and that I could fulfil my parents’ wish for cattle, because a “cut” woman fetches a larger dowry than an “uncut” woman. It happened when I was 13 and, two years later, I was married off and went to live with my husband’s family.

After two years of marriage, I became pregnant but there were problems during the birth. I had to travel a long distance to the health facility, which weakened me.

The baby couldn’t pass through, and the birth attendant cut my private parts in order to allow the child to pass, which meant that I was bleeding badly. I have never felt so much pain in my entire life. Somehow I survived, but I eventually lost my baby.

I didn’t know that the birth complications, and many of my other health issues, were linked to cutting. I eventually found out when I was approached by the Communication for Development Foundation Uganda (CDFU), and attended a meeting on FGM.

United Nations

Ending FGM for good

I now have two daughters, aged seven and eight. Every time I see them, I imagine them going through what I went through, and my heart tightens. I talk to them about the dangers of female genital mutilation, and I have vowed that I don’t want any daughter of mine to go through this process that almost claimed my life.

I later received community engagement training, and I advocate for zero tolerance for FGM in my village [Luchengenge, in the Amudat district of eastern Uganda]. I used to be worried about reprisals if I spoke out, but now I feel empowered to speak out, and end FGM for good.

 Now that I have a platform, I will continue raising awareness and testifying against female genital mutilation, even to men, because I know the dangers. If I keep quiet, our daughters will go through a lot of pain and suffering. We have to continue telling mothers, fathers, and the girls themselves about the dangers of FGM, and to discourage cutting. I will not give up”.

Margaret Chepoteltel was speaking to the Spotlight Initiative a UN and European Union initiative to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls.

 

UNICEF/Henry Bongyereirwe
In Uganda, the UN provides support to young girls who have avoided genital mutilation.

The UN and the fight against FGM

  • The UN and the fight against FGM

    The UN says that COVID-19 has disproportionately affected girls and women, resulting in what it calls “a shadow pandemic” disrupting the elimination of all harmful customs, including female genital mutilation.

  • In 2018, it was estimated by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) that globally 68 million girls were at risk; now the figure stands at 70 million.
  • Ms. Chepoteltel’s advocacy work in her village is part of the Communication for Development Foundation Uganda (CDFU) “Make Happiness Not Violence” campaign, which is being supported by the Spotlight Initiative and UN Women.
  • UN Women supports CDFU as an Implementing Partner to end violence against women and girls in Uganda. Supported campaigns use media and community mobilization approaches, to mobilize individuals, communities and institutions to promote positive change social norms, attitudes and practices and discourage harmful practices.

UN envoy calls for more support to aid Palestinian COVID-19 response

UN Special Coordinator Tor Wennesland said the disease remains a “persistent health threat” in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), with new cases increasing significantly in the West Bank in recent weeks.  Although numbers in Gaza remain low, they have also risen after a significant decline. 

“In addition to the brutal impact on public health, the recurrent lockdowns, school closures, and reduction of commercial activity have severely undermined living conditions,” he added. 

“Support to the Palestinian COVID-19 response should be significantly enhanced to ensure that Palestinians throughout the OPT receive a fair and timely share in the distribution of vaccines.” 

Vaccine programme begins 

Vaccinations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory began this month, said Mr. Wennesland, who presented his latest report, which covers the period from 11 December to 23 March. 

The global equity initiative COVAX delivered some 60,000 doses last week, while Russia and the United Arab Emirates have reportedly donated some 70,000 more.  

Meanwhile, Israel’s vaccination campaign is progressing “at a quick pace”.  Authorities there have indicated that the Palestinian Authority is responsible for inoculating the Palestinian people. 

“Nevertheless, Israel has facilitated deliveries across the OPT and extended its vaccination programme to some Palestinian populations, including in East Jerusalem,” the envoy said. 

“This includes Israel’s provision of some 5,000 vaccines to the Palestinian Authority, as well as the vaccination of over 100,000 Palestinians holding permits to enter Israel, including Palestinian health workers in Israel. In the last days of the reporting period, there were reports of progress in talks about increased vaccine provision, including by Israel.” 

Palestinians register to vote 

Mr. Wennesland also updated ambassadors on developments surrounding the first Palestinian elections in 15 years, which are slated to begin in May.   

Representatives from rival factions Fatah, which controls the Palestinian Authority, based in the occupied West Bank, and the militant group Hamas, which holds sway over Gaza, have been meeting in Egypt to resolve several long-standing differences. 

The UN envoy reported that voter registration concluded in mid-February. More than 90 per cent of eligible voters have been registered, according to election officials. 

Nomination of candidates began on 20 March and will end next Wednesday. 

A ‘drop in the sea’ 

Also on Thursday: 

Independent experts appointed by the UN General Assembly urged Israel to facilitate COVID-19 vaccines in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. 

Members of the UN Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices were concerned that the country has been donating vaccines overseas while not fulfilling its obligation to ensure Palestinians are protected. 

“The number of vaccines received so far by the Palestinian people represents only a ‘drop in the sea’, in addressing the overall vaccination needs and containing the COVID-19 pandemic,” they said in a statement, issued following consultations last week with UN Member States in Geneva.

Empowering women in peace operations remains top priority, says UN peacekeeping chief

Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, was speaking at a side event focusing on “Women Leaders in the Military”, part of the 65th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).

 “Increasing women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in UN Peacekeeping has become one of the top priorities of my Department”, said Mr. Lacroix, adding that “it is anchored in the Security Council resolutions on Women, Peace and Security, and in the Secretary-General’s Action for Peacekeeping Initiative (A4P).

The guiding framework for peacekeeping over the past three years, A4P aims to increase the number of civilian and uniformed women in peacekeeping at all levels and in key positions.

“It will continue to be a priority for the next phase”, Mr. Lacroix underscored.

Slow progress

Despite making great strides towards achieve gender parity within uniformed components of peacekeeping missions, Mr. Lacroix said progress overall remains slow.

In January 2021, less than one-fifth of Military Experts on Mission and Staff Officers were women and made up only 5.4 percent of personnel in military units.

However, Mr. Lacroix noted that two women are currently serving in the most senior military level within the 12 field missions: one is the newly appointed Force Commander in the peacekeeping mission in Cyprus (UNFICYP), and the other is a Deputy Force Commander in the Western Sahara mission, MINURSO.

“We still have a long way to go, but we are seeing progress,” he said.

TANZBATT_8/Kapteni Tumaini Bigambo
Tanzanian women peacekeepers in DRC engaging with women in North Kivu during an introductory tour.

Diverse leadership

“Diverse leadership and teams bring diverse perspectives so we can take better decisions and improve our operations,” said Mr. Lacroix, stressing the need to “ensure that this is rectified, that barriers are broken, and that more women can make it to the top positions.”

He went on to emphasize the importance of recognizing women’s leadership in different roles and positions, as well as creating enabling environments, at Headquarters and in the missions, to allow peace operations to be effective and succeed with their mandates.

The UN peacekeeping chief also highlighted initiatives focusing on gender parity such as professional development, networks and mentorship, talent management, and workplace culture. Initiatives are also in place to combat sexual harassment, discrimination, unconscious biases and stereotyping.

Advocates and agents

“The Department of Peace Operations depends on the collaboration with all contributing countries,” said Mr. Lacroix, stressing that everyone, regardless of gender, needs to be engaged as “advocates and agents of change for gender equality.”

He urged Troop Contributing Countries and all peace contributors, to recognize gender equality, women, peace and security and gender parity as a shared political priority and continue to allocate resources and political will to this cause.

“We certainly cannot do this alone,” he said.

Pandemic threatens lost decade for development, UN report reveals

“The global economy has experienced “the worst recession in 90 years, with the most vulnerable segments of societies disproportionately affected”, said the Inter-agency Task Force on Financing in their Financing for Sustainable Development Report 2021, pointing out that some 114 million jobs have been lost, and about 120 million people have been plunged back into extreme poverty. 

Uneven response 

The highly uneven response to the pandemic has “widened the already yawning disparities and inequities within and between countries and peoples”, according to the 60 international agencies that authored the report. 

And while an historic $16 trillion in stimulus and recovery funds released by governments worldwide have helped to stave off the worst effects, less than 20 per cent of it was spent in developing countries. 

By January, all but nine of the 38 States rolling out vaccines were developed countries.   

Before COVID-19, around half of least developed and other low-income countries were under threat of, or already experiencing, debt distress. Coupled with falling tax revenues, that has subsequently sent debt levels soaring.      

In the world’s poorest countries, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) could be pushed back another 10 years, warns the report.  

The report says that immediate action is needed to address widening inequalities, rebuild better, and prevent the development reversal.   

“What this pandemic has proven beyond all doubt is that we ignore global interdependence at our peril. Disasters do not respect national boundaries”, Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said.  

Meanwhile, Liu Zhenmin, Head of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) that produced the report, flagged that countries must be helped to stay afloat financially and to invest in their own development.  

“To rebuild better, both the public and private sectors must invest in human capital, social protection, and sustainable infrastructure and technology”, he said, adding that the “troublingly retrogressive” gap between rich and poor countries, requires “an immediate course correction”. 

Recommendations for governments  

  • Reject vaccine nationalism.  
  • Step up contributions to the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator to close 2021 funding gap. 
  • Meet the 0.7 per cent Official Development Assistance (ODA) commitment  
  • Provide fresh concessional financing for developing countries,  
  • Provide liquidity and debt relief for developing countries to fight COVID-19 and its repercussions.  

Among other things, the report suggests providing ultra-long term fixed interest financing to developing countries and realigning capital markets with sustainable development, by removing short term incentives along the investment chain.  

 Risk-informed development 

The report emphasized that sustainable development must be conscious of risk, to respond to the crisis and reset so-called “future-proof” global systems. 

It maintained that lessons learned today can allow reforms to be put in place that create resilience ahead, such as international financial architecture and policies that support financing for development. 

“To change trajectory, we need to change the rules of the game”, Ms. Mohammed said. “Relying on the pre-crisis rules will lead to the same pitfalls that have been revealed over the past year”.   

Overall recommendations  

To combat corporate tax avoidance and reduce harmful tax competition, the report underscored the need for a global solution on taxing the digital economy along with better technology to combat illicit financial flows.  

And to reduce the overmighty market power of the digital tech giants, it suggests a review of regulatory frameworks, such as antitrust regulations.  

Additionally, to reflect the reality of a changing global economy, including an increasingly digitalized world, labour market and fiscal policies must be modernized.  

The report also advocated for a global reporting framework to hold companies accountable for their social and environmental impact and incorporate climate risks into financial regulation.  

“A diverging world is a catastrophe for all of us. It is both morally right and in everyone’s economic self-interest to help developing countries overcome this crisis”, said the Deputy Secretary-General.

Probe announced into alleged Tigray rights violations: UN rights office

The probe, which will be carried out jointly by the High Commissioner’s Office and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC), is described “as part of the much-needed accountability process for the victims”.  

The development comes after fighting began in the north Ethiopian state on 4 November last year, between forces loyal to regional power brokers and former national ruling party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), and the current national Government forces.

Serious human rights violations and abuses have been reported, the UN rights office said in a statement.

Objective, independent investigation

It pointed to the “multiple actors involved in the conflict and the gravity of the reported violations”, and the need for an objective, independent investigation which will start “as soon as possible” and for an initial period of three months.

The agreement by OHCHR and the EHRC to collaborate, is the result of ongoing partnership and engagement, said the statement, “founded on shared objectives to advance and strengthen respect and protection of human rights, as well as accountability for violations of human rights law, committed by all parties” since early November.

WFP emergency support

Displaced people in Adigrat town, in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia., by © UNICEF/Zerihun Sewunet

The World Food Programme (WFP) said on Wednesday that it has begun providing emergency food assistance to vulnerable people across Tigray.

The agency stressed that it urgently needs $170 million to meet critical food and nutrition needs over the next six months. The Ethiopian Government estimates that 4.5 million people need emergency food assistance until late this year and has requested WFP support for around 1.4 million of those in need.

According to the UN Spokesperson’s office, WFP noted that the outbreak of conflict in Tigray last November coincided with the peak harvest period, meaning employment and incomes were lost, markets were disrupted, food prices rose, and access to cash and food became limited.

In addition to delivering emergency food assistance in Tigray, WFP has started providing nutrition support for up to 875,000 vulnerable pregnant or breastfeeding women as well as children in the region over the next six months.

WFP is also providing transport and logistics support to the Government and its partners to deliver humanitarian assistance both to and within Tigray Region.

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