Ethiopia briefs ambassadors, HRDG representatives on current situation in Tigray

Addis Ababa, January 4, 2021 (FBC) – Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Demeke Mekonnen has today briefed Ambassadors and Human and Resilience Donor Group (HRDG) representatives on current situations in Tigray.

Mufarihat Kamil, Minister of Peace, Redwan Hussein, State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mitiku Kassa Commissioner for National Disaster Risk Management, and Director for Administration for Refugee and Returnee Affairs (ARRA) have attended the meeting.

On the occasion, Demeke appreciated member countries of the Group for their support and briefed the Ambassadors on the ongoing humanitarian activities in the Tigray region and the results achieved thus far.

The Deputy Prime Minister said food items, commodities, and medical supplies are being provided in the region to address the needs of the beneficiaries.

As agreed between the Government of Ethiopia and the UN Resident Coordinator, and using the existing coordination mechanism, the provision of humanitarian assistance is going as planned said the Deputy Prime Minister.

Recalling the colossal destruction caused on infrastructure by the TPLF junta, Demeke briefed the Ambassadors on the task of reconstruction that is now underway with telecommunication lines being restored in almost all parts of the region and financial institutions resumed their operations.

The Deputy Prime Minister also said that relevant government institutions are working closely with donor communities and will continue to do so to effectively and timely address issues of refugees and those who need humanitarian assistance.

The interim administration is also working tirelessly in making sure that different levels of the administration of the region provide the necessary services including engaging the community to effectively respond to the development needs of the people in the region, said Demeke.

Ministers and other officials of the Ethiopian government present at the meeting also provided detailed information on the work that is underway to address the humanitarian situation in Tigray.

An understanding was reached to continue the engagement with the Group to work together to further scale-up humanitarian activities in the region.

The Ambassadors appreciated the government of Ethiopia for taking the initiative to brief them on current issues in detail.