Addis Ababa, March 23, 2022 (Walta) – Despite approval from the Government of Ethiopia, the WHO has not yet commenced the transportation of medical supplies and medicine to Tigray, EPA confirmed from the WHO country office and the National Disaster Risk Management Commission.
On the flip side, the WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom has repeatedly been accusing the Government of Ethiopia of the blockade of humanitarian aid to Tigray. In a previous interview, NDRMC Head Mitiku Kassa commented that there was not an entity that prohibited the WHO from transporting aids to Tigray.
Mitiku further described the accusation as an unfounded one for the WHO had already been permitted to transport the aids to Tigray.
The WHO was green-lighted to transport the aids on March 14, 2022, from the Ministry of Health. Duly acknowledging the Ministry’s cooperation, the WHO country office for Ethiopia wrote a letter on March 15, 2022, to NDRMC stating that the transportation was to be carried out starting March 21, 2022, until April 20, 2022.
However, the WHO Chief on March 17 accused Ethiopia of blocking the transportation of medical supplies and medicines to Tigray. He also reiterated the accusation today on social media.
NDRMC Communication and Public Relations Head Debebe Zewde told the EPA that there has not been any aid transported to Tigray as of March 21, 2022.
WHO Country Office for Ethiopia Communication department said that preparations are underway in cooperation with World Food Programme. And there has not been any aid transported to Tigray so far.