Seven weeks after the conflict began in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, the continuing lack of overall humanitarian access, coupled with an ongoing communications blackout in many areas, raises increasing concerns about the situation of civilians, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet warned on Tuesday.
“While we welcome the
Ethiopian Government’s statement that there would be unimpeded
humanitarian access, in line with the agreement with the UN signed on 29 November, this needs to be to all areas of Tigray where civilians have
been affected by the fighting,” Bachelet said, noting that two
humanitarian assessment missions were able to enter Tigray on Monday.
Ethiopia: Provide Unhindered Access to Whole of Tigray to Protect Civilians, Bachelet Urges Ethiopia allafrica.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from allafrica.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The United Nations has again called for full access to Ethiopia s Tigray region to investigate alleged human rights violations.
Ethiopia s army has been fighting the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a small band of insurgents who became a guerrilla arm, for almost seven weeks.
The conflict has displaced almost 950,000 people, many of them have fled to neighbouring Sudan.
Access for humanitarian workers had been impossible until recently. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, said two humanitarian assessment missions were able to enter the region on Monday.
Violations of international humanitarian law
Rights workers also want access on the ground to verify reports.
Provide unhindered access to whole of Tigray to protect civilians, Bachelet urges Ethiopia
Geneva (22 December 2020) – Seven weeks after the conflict began in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, the continuing lack of overall humanitarian access, coupled with an ongoing communications blackout in many areas, raises increasing concerns about the situation of civilians, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet warned on Tuesday. While we welcome the Ethiopian Government s statement that there would be unimpeded humanitarian access, in line with the agreement with the UN signed on 29 November, this needs to be to all areas of Tigray where civilians have been affected by the fighting, Bachelet said, noting that two humanitarian assessment missions were able to enter Tigray on Monday.
The United Nations
Reports of artillery strikes on civilians and mass killings of non-combatants in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, must be investigated and full access granted to independent investigators, UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet said on Tuesday.
The appeal by the High Commissioner for Human Rights follows seven weeks of conflict in northern Ethiopia between central Government soldiers and Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) forces that has displaced tens of thousands.
#Ethiopia: Consistent reports of human rights violations committed by all parties to the conflict in #Tigray should be investigated. UN Human Rights Chief @mbachelet calls for unhindered humanitarian access to whole of Tigray to protect civilians. Read https://t.co/AWcuDlnhtwpic.twitter.com/VRZQ2dnrG2