By Hannatu Sadiq
United Nations Humanitarian Chief, Mark Lowcock says the situation in the Ethiopian region of Tigray is worse than previously thought.
Mr. Lowcock who spoke to a closed session of the Security Council on Tuesday said “Rape is being used systematically to terrorize and brutalize women and girls. Eritrean soldiers are using starvation as a weapon of war. Displaced people are being rounded up, beaten and threatened.
“Aid workers have been killed, interrogated, beaten, blocked from taking aid to the starving and suffering and told not to come back. The Tigray administration have reported deaths from starvation.”
Mr. Lowcock suggested the recent assessment of food security in Tigray – which spoke of a “catastrophe” – is an underestimation of the gravity of the situation.
He described multiple reports of “young men and teenagers taken, usually at night, and in some cases execute. It is now clear that Eritrean Defense Forces are responsible for substantial violations of international humanitarian law.”
Despite some success in delivering aid to the region, “millions of people in urgent need of help are simply not getting any. The response is still not yet coming close to keeping pace with the mounting needs,” The UN Chief added.
