Starving Tigray: How Armed Conflict and Mass Atrocities Have Destroyed an Ethiopian Region’s Economy and Food System and Are Threatening Famine
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY They have destroyed Tigray, literally. Mulugeta Gebrehiwot speaking by phone from Tigray January 27, 2021 The people of Tigray, Ethiopia, are suffering a humanitarian crisis that is entirely man-made.
This special report from the World Peace Foundation documents how Ethiopian and Eritrean belligerents in the war in Tigray have comprehensively dismantled the region’s economy and food system. We provide evidence of their ongoing actions to deprive people of objects and activities indispensable to their survival actions that amount to international crimes. We track the process of deprivation conducted in a widespread and systematic manner. We indicate where it is leading: in coming months, to mass starvation and a risk of famine; in the longer term, to sustained food insecurity and dependence on external assist
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It is increasingly apparent that the costs of COVID-19 will be borne disproportionately by poorer segments of society, especially in lower income countries. Women, children and displaced populations have been hardest hit. This crisis – more so than other crises before – requires scalable solutions for the world’s poorest. For many countries, this presents unchartered territory.
Just over one decade ago, the world was beset by the triple threat of the Food, Fuel and Financial Crisis. Back then, scalable response options for the poorest looked quite different. To a large extent, national social safety net programs were just taking off across low income countries. Concerted efforts to build and restore human capital - i.e. the knowledge, skills and health that people need to realize their potential – were not the central part of recovery efforts. Cross-sector solutions remained a challenge. The evidence base on what works for the poorest lacking.
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Washington: The World Bank approved a $150 million additional grant for the Social Safety Net Project (SSNP) to further support the government to increase the access of extremely poor households to safety net services, and to strengthen the foundations of the national social protection system, while accelerating the COVID-19 (coronavirus) social protection response.
“The Malagasy government reaffirms its will and determination to implement national social protection programs. And the World Bank’s support will help achieve a key objective for improving the living conditions and human capital in Madagascar. Together, we are strengthening the resilience of the most vulnerable households in this unprecedented health context of COVID-19 that we are facing,” said Andry Rajoelina, President of the Republic of Madagascar.
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The Government of Ethiopia issued a statement on Tigray Region expressing its concern over “unsubstantiated and politically motivated misinformation that is being extensively shared by several actors about the situation in Tigray.”
Below is the full statement. “A call for much needed assistance to the people of Tigray needs to be extricated from other political motivations and partisan support whose sole purpose is aimed at undermining the sovereign powers and responsibilities of the government. The following updates provide an overview of developments in the region.”
“Humanitarian Assistance: Unlike the prevailing and inaccurate narrative that purport vast parts of the region are inaccessible, the Federal Government in partnership with international and local organizations has made significant progress in delivering humanitarian assistance to care for our citizens in Tigray.“