Ethiopia to expel UN officials amid fears of Tigray famine
By Bethlehem Feleke, CNN
Ethiopia is expelling seven senior United Nations officials for allegedly “meddling in the internal affairs of the country,” the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday.
The group, which includes officials from the UN’s Children Fund (UNICEF) and UN Office of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), have 72 hours to leave the country.
Earlier this month, UNOCHA said there was a “de facto humanitarian aid blockade” into the war-torn Tigray region, where at least 400,000 people are facing famine conditions, according to the agency’s latest figures.
Since July, only 606 trucks carrying humanitarian supplies have managed to enter Tigray — a small fraction of what is needed to bring humanitarian assistance to 5.2 million people, according to UNOCHA.
The UN estimates 100 trucks a day are needed in order to meet the demand. Medical supplies continue to be denied entry into the region by the Ethiopian government, according to the UN.
The UN has cited “logistical and bureaucratic impediments including long delays for clearance of humanitarian supplies,” severe fuel shortages, and reported harassment of drivers as reasons for restricted passage.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres responded to the threatened expulsions on Thursday, saying he was “shocked” by the decision and that the global body was working to keep staff in the country, in a statement read by a spokesperson.
“I have full confidence in the UN staff who are in Ethiopia doing this work. The UN is committed to helping Ethiopian people who rely on humanitarian assistance. We are now engaging with the government of Ethiopia in the expectation that the concerned UN staff will be allowed to continue their important work.”
The decision follows sharp comments earlier this week on the Ethiopian government’s role in the humanitarian crisis by UN aid chief Martin Griffiths. “This is man-made, this can be remedied by the act of government,” he said, Reuters reported.
“We need the Ethiopian government to do what they promised to do which is to facilitate access,” he added.
The Ethiopian government has repeatedly rejected allegations that it is blocking aid.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UNICEF and UNOCHA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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CNN’s Caitlin Hu contributed reporting from New York.
