Ethiopia said that it had allowed humanitarian flights to the Tigray region this week, amid concerns that aid is not reaching people facing famine, but the civil aviation head said no flights had yet left the capital.
Tens of thousands of children in Ethiopia’s Tigray region are at risk of malnutrition as aid continues to struggle to get into the war-torn area, the United Nations has warned. UNICEF said the organization is unable to reach around 33,000 children in dire need of malnutrition treatment. Efforts to provide aid to needy areas of the stricken region have been met with obstacles that have been caused by insecurity and inaccessibility due to military roadblocks.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a call with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed urged for unhindered humanitarian access to Tigray. Blinken stressed the need for all parties to commit to an immediate, indefinite, negotiated ceasefire. Blinken also urged Abiy to commit to steps outlined by the UNSC last week, incl the withdrawal of both Eritrean and Amhara forces from the Tigray region.