Refugees International Condemns the Ethiopian Government’s Expulsion of Key UN Leaders
Please see below statement from Refugees International Vice President for Programs and Policy Hardin Lang:
Refugees International condemns the Ethiopian government’s decision to expel key UN staff from the country, leaving key posts vacant during a time of crisis.
The ongoing conflict in Tigray has already pushed some 900,000 people into famine with deaths now being reported regularly. The government’s humanitarian blockade is causing this famine, stopping food and medicine from reaching those in need, including women, children, and elderly, who are disproportionately affected by the famine.
Kicking out senior UN leaders will only make the crisis worse. Violence and hunger are also now spreading to other parts of Ethiopia, including Amhara and Afar regions. It is time for the United States and other members of the UN Security Council along with the African Union to challenge Ethiopia to end the aid blockade, and ensure that relief reaches those in need.
Contact Refugees International Communications Officer Aviva Shwayder at aviva@refugeesinternational.org or +1 734 255 8185.
Learn more about our Stop Tigray Famine campaign here.
PHOTO CAPTION: A woman leans on the wall of a damaged house which was shelled in Wukro, north of Mekele, on March 1, 2021. Photo Credit: EDUARDO SOTERAS/AFP via Getty Images.