ECC says 28 UN agencies, International NGOs grated approval to transport cash to Tigray region

Addis Ababa, September 4, 2021 (FBC) – The Emergency Coordination Center (ECC) Ministerial Committee has issues statement on the humanitarian aid coordination activities in Tigray, Afar and Amhara Regions.

According to the statement, Earlier to the unilateral humanitarian ceasefire decision by the Ethiopian Government, food and non-food items distributed to 4.9 million people in the Tigray region in three rounds.

When decision was made to declare the unilateral humanitarian ceasefire, food, medicines, fuel and other critical items that can Support the region for about two months were stored in the region.

More than 500,000 quintals of improved seeds and fertilizers were also stored to support farmers not to miss the farming season.

Following the unilateral humanitarian ceasefire, the government of Ethiopia continued to coordinate and send in food, and non-food items including fuel through six humanitarian partners who are operating in the region.

The humanitarian operation in the affected areas has been coordinated by the leadership of the National Emergency Coordination Center Ministerial Committee.

There have been developments since last week to better coordinate and facilitate the movement of humanitarian aid to the region:

About 500 trucks loaded with food and non-food items as well as improved seeds and fertilizers have entered the region. 152 of these were dispatched in the past two days.

It is to note that TPLF’s repeated attack and continued intrusion into the Afar and Amhara regions as well as blockage of humanitarian corridors worsened the situation and highly impeded the movement of humanitarian aid to the region.

The number of checkpoints between departure point and destination is reduced to two from seven to_ simplify humanitarian cargo movement.

The existing clearance procedure is that consignments are sealed at dispatch point (central warehouse or port) escorted by law enforcement bodies, pass through cargo scanning machines or manual search at two checkpoints in the Afar region and pass to the Tigray region.

Raised the ceiling of cash channeled into the region by humanitarian organizations. Approval based on the humanitarian organizations’ defined volume of work and size of workforce operating in the region. So far, 28 UN agencies and International NGOs are granted approval to transport cash to the region.

The 48 hours prior email notification by humanitarian organizations staff travelling to the region maintained.

Due to repeated attacks by the TPLF terrorist group on civilians in the Afar and Amhara regions, about 4.5 million people are affected; more than 500,000 people displaced.

Assessments indicate that humanitarian support through non-governmental humanitarian actors is minimal. To accommodate the increasing need, humanitarian partners are encouraged to assess the situation on the ground and further coordinate efforts to maximize the reach.

Although the Government has repeatedly urged that a large number of trucks carrying aid to the Tigray region have not returned in accordance with the established procedures, lack of concrete response has raised serious concerns and doubts.

In fact, no one has been able to guarantee that they are not used for unintended purposes. We would like to urge the international humanitarian partners to take the necessary caution to ensure that aid distribution to the people in need is properly addressed, the statement said.