Risk of famine in Ethiopia’s Tigray region have been averted: WFP

Addis Ababa, July 16, 2022 (FBC) – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has announced that it has managed to deliver essential food aid to millions of people in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, as well as to the regions of Afar and Amhara.

Since the Government of Ethiopia declared humanitarian truce in April, there’s been a marked improvement in the situation with hundreds of truckloads of supplies passing into Tigray.

World Food Programs Country Director for Northern Ethiopia, Adrian Van der Knapp, in an interview with BBC Africa said the humanitarian truce agreed in April allowed WFP to bring in humanitarian truce into Tigray.

Adrian Van der Knapp said that WFP has brought in food for 1.1 million people out of 2.1 that are planned; and there is a food supply to address the remaining 1 million.

He added that due to the war that took place for 20 months left the situation in Tigray, Afar and Amhara Region worse.

“We do need more corridors, we need to humanitarian truce to continue, and we expect that it will continue. But we need to open more corridors. Of course, we need more funds, we’ve run out of money. But in general, we need also more basic services so that the local economies can start picking,” he said.

“The risk of famine in Tigray Region has been averted. The humanitarian truce has allowed us to bring in supplies, this needs to continue. We are on the right track. But, we need much more to avert far worse situation,” he noted.

“Since the humanitarian truce in April almost 4,000 truckloads have arrived in Tigray. We and partners have been able to bring in through the Semera-Mekelle corridor,”

“The situation with fuel in the country is improving. Together with authorities, we are trying to get the necessary amount of fuel which is 2 million litres per month so that we can continue with food distributions, Things have opened up,” Adrian Van der Knapp indicated.

Responding to a question concerning reports of accusations on both sides regarding blockage of aid convoys, Adrian Van der Knapp said: “We have not been blocked since April. Neither the government nor the Tigray forces have blocked aid flowing into the corridor that is open,”