UN Children’s agency, UNICEF has warned about 33,000 severely malnourished children in Tigray region of Ethiopia who are at high risk of death.
Background
Tigray region has been devastated because of fighting between government forces and rebels in which about 1.7 million people displaced since conflict started in November 2020.
UNICEF Study
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UN-backed study found that 353,000 people in Tigray region were living in severe crisis while Ethiopian government nullify the finding and says aid is getting through.
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As per UNICEF, food situation in region has reached to level of a catastrophe. It is defined as starvation and death affecting small groups of people over large areas.
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About 33,000 young children and babies are close to sickness and potential death from malnutrition.
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Two million people are classed as on brink of severe crisis.
Ceasefire
United States and European Union have jointly asked all warring parties to agree for a ceasefire and to allow aid to reach millions who are in need. They urged to prevent large-scale famine by means of a ceasefire.
What is the issue?
In November 2020, Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed, had ordered ground and air military operation in Tigray. Operations were launched after accusing Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) (one the Ruling party) of attacking on federal army camps. This conflict has killed about thousands of people and left about five million in need of aid. Actual tensions between Ethiopian government and Tigray People’s Liberation Front started with appointment of Abiy Ahmed as prime minister of country in 2018.