The majority of the trucks that delivered food and other aid to rebels-controlled Tigray region of Ethiopia have not returned, says UN office in Ethiopia.
“Concerning. None of the 149 trucks in the convoy that reached Mekelle Ethiopia last week returned. Only 38 out of 466 trucks that entered Tigray since 12 July returned. We need trucks to deliver lifesaving assistance to people in Tigray,” UN Office in Ethiopia twitted.
Since last November the Government of Ethiopia has been fighting against the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) militias, who attacked Ethiopian defense military base in Tigray region. The war has led to sufferings of millions of people and death of thousands worsening the humanitarian situation in Tigray and the neighboring Amhara and Tigray regions of Ethiopia.
Over the past few days rumors on social media has been spreading about the use of World Food Program Trucks in Tigray by the TPLF in transporting militias and goods and not returning back to continue delivering highly needed humanitarian goods.
TPLF has been on power in Ethiopia since May 1991 dominating the ruling coalition Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). As a result of popular protest across the nation in early 2018, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, who was considered at the time as puppet of TPLF by many people has decided to resign.
As a result, to the surprise of TPLF, the coalition of the four parties has elected Abiy Ahmed to become the chairman of EPRDF and Prime Minister of Ethiopia in April 2018. Launching major political and economic reforms, Abiy Ahmed got support of the majority of the people of Ethiopia except TPLF. Based on the previous decisions of the ruling coalition, Abiy merged the four parties EPRDF into one party- Prosperity Party.
Meanwhile TPLF, which claims to represent some 6 percent of the total population of Ethiopia mainly living in Tigray, rejected to be part of Prosperity. The controversy finally led to the ongoing military confrontation that led the country to the current humanitarian crisis mainly in the northern part of the country.
Concerning. None of the 149 trucks in the convoy that reached #Mekelle #Ethiopia last week returned. Only 38 out of 466 trucks that entered #Tigray since 12 July returned. We need trucks to deliver lifesaving assistance to people in #Tigray. @OCHA_Ethiopia @WFP_Ethiopia pic.twitter.com/7SIPZpvItO
— UN Ethiopia (@UNEthiopia) September 16, 2021