Ethiopia: dozens of civilians killed in aerial strikes at Tiger

According to the UN, they took place between December 19 and 24. This is the heavier assessment recorded since October in this region at civil war.

Le Monde with AFP

Dozens of civilians were killed last week during aerial strikes in the Tiger War Region, Northern Ethiopia, announced Thursday, December 30 the UN agency for humanitarian affairs .

Aerial strikes made between December 19 and 24 have “provoked massive civil losses, with dozens of people who would have been killed, making it the most intense and heaviest aerial attacks reported losses. Since October, “said the Office for the Coordination of United Nations Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The strikes affected the cities of Alamata, Korem, Maychew, Mekoni and Milazat in the southern Tigger, as well as the Mekele Regional Capital, pointed out OCHA, without giving more details on the source of This information.

“Due to limited access and insecurity in the region, humanitarian partners have not yet been able to verify the exact number of victims,” ​​added the agency. According to OCHA, the situation remains “tense and unpredictable” in northern Ethiopia, where the agencies responsible for humanitarian aid are struggling to deliver food and other basic goods to people in need.

No humanitarian aid truck has been able to penetrate the Tiger since December 14, according to the Agency, which evokes security issues. “A total of 1,338 trucks have entered the region since 12 July, which is less than 12% of the help necessary to address the scope of humanitarian needs.”

Rebels fold

The conflict has made thousands of deaths and caused a serious humanitarian crisis, pushing more than two million people to flee their homes, according to the UN. The war broke out in November 2020 when Ethiopian Prime Minister Ahmed sent troops to Tiger to overthrow the People’s Liberation Front of Tiger (TPLF), accusing his fighters for attacking army camps and challenge his authority.

He promised a quick victory, but the TPLF took the course army, taking over most of the Tiger in June before moving forward in the neighboring areas of AFAR and Amhara. A few weeks ago, the rebels affirmed to be only 200 kilometers from the capital Addis Ababa, aroused the concern of foreign governments that urged their citizens to leave Ethiopia as soon as possible.

/Media reports.