BY LAKACHEW ATINAFU
Beyond leading successful operations and celebrating victories, governments and the public are frequently tempted with rehabilitating displaced citizens and rebuilding infrastructure in Tigray State. Hence, states men, relevant authorities and the wide public have shared responsibilities to put the clock back.
Lately, Ethiopia had carried out law enforcement operations against TPLF junta which tried to obstruct the country’s national interest and the reform the country has managed few years before.
Indeed, the law enforcement operations have been successfully accomplished with almost no casualties of lives of civilians; however, there are undesirable displacements and destruction of infrastructure that came to happen by the junta.
Following the successful completion of law enforcement operation in the State, the next assignment of the government is to focus on rehabilitating and rebuilding Tigray coupled with bringing criminals to courts.
Speaking to member of high military commanders, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed stressed that besides bringing offenders to justice, the federal government and the Tigrayans people will aggressively work to rehabilitate the citizenry and reconstructing infrastructure devastated by the junta amid the operation.
Alongside investigating and apprehending members of the junta, activities will be undertaken with special priority to returning and rehabilitating the displaced people during the law enforcement operation and rebuilding infrastructures which were destroyed by the treasonous TPLF.
The Premier urged the leadership of the party, members, supporters and Ethiopians at all to join hands to resume public services and safe distributions of humanitarian and emergency supplies in Tigray.
As it was mentioned by the statement of the Prime Minister by mid-November 2020, an initial round of humanitarian relief items, including medical items, were sent to Dansha, Welkait, Kafta/Humera and Debarq areas. ‘On December 8, 2020, 44 trucks carrying 18,200 quintals of food aid dispatched by the Federal Government reached the town of Shire for distribution to other parts of the region.
The dispatch also includes 4 trucks carrying 5,500 quintals of food to Alamata. Similarly, 30 trucks carrying 12,500 quintals of food supplies have reached Mekelle, with an additional 7000 quintals of wheat flour dispatched to Mekelle. Three trucks of medical supplies have almost reached the city of Mekelle and will be distributed on the day. Seven trucks of medical supplies to Shire and Adigrat towns have also been dispatched, according to the PM office statement.
On the other hand, so far, 31 thausand500 quintals of wheat and packed foods have been delivered to the displaced in West Tigray Zonal Administration alone, according to Natural Disaster Risk Management Commission statement to members of the press in Shire, Tigray.
Taye Getachew, Response and Follow up Team Leader at the Commission Said that wheat have been delivered for those who need immediate response of food intervention.
Taye, who is also Coordinator of the aid delivered for Tigray, said that rice, pasta, nutrient food have also been distributed among the neediest group of children mothers and elders in the district of West Tigray.
Hagos Berhe, Mayor of Shire Endasilassie of the Interim Adminstration applauded government’s relief service for displaced people reside in Shire in the premises of Universities and Schools.
Hence, the interim has deployed manpower from lower administrative unit to city administration to distribute relief services effectively.
A team which is drawn from the Ministries of Water and Irrigation, Women and Children, and Agriculture has also been assigned to discharge their respective responsibilities.
Moreover, this month, a convoy carrying medicines and relief supplies from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS), organized in coordination with the Ethiopian authorities, has reached to Tigray State capital, Mekelle.
The seven Red Cross trucks are carrying medicines and supplies to care for more than 400 trauma patients as well as items needed to treat chronic and routine medical conditions.
These supplies will be donated to Ayder Hospital, the Regional Health Bureau, and the ERCS pharmacy in Mekelle. In addition, ICRC’s team in Mekelle has been working to get the hospital fuel to run its generator as well as water.
Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Health also delivered medical supplies to Mekelle’s health facilities.
In the other way, the Red Cross convoy also brought blankets, tarpaulins, kitchen sets, clothes, soaps, and jerricans that can help about 1,000 families fled away from their homes as well as equipment to improve access to water and sanitation.
At the same time, ICRC teams are in North Amhara and West Tigray, where they are distributing relief items to displaced families and assessing the humanitarian needs caused by the fighting.
The ICRC has so far provided medicines and medical supplies to seven health care facilities in Amhara State that have received patients injured in the operations. In addition to medical supplies, the ICRC is working with hospitals to support the long-term physical rehabilitation needs of people who suffered amputations because of weapon-related injuries.
It is to be recalled that on November 29, 2020, the Federal Government signed an agreement with the United Nations that outlines collaboration for the delivery of humanitarian assistance. ‘The Agreement for an Enhanced Coordination Mechanism for Humanitarian Access in Ethiopia’s Tigray State, sets out the coordination mechanism’s specific objectives and scope, its guiding principles, central commitments and coordination arrangements and its major stakeholders and their respective roles, responsibilities and accountabilities.
The agreement signed with the United Nations recognizes that the Government of Ethiopia at federal and regional levels has “primary responsibility for meeting assessed and potential humanitarian needs in the country” and that the delivery of assistance depends within two coordination framework under the Federal government’s overall authority. It also recognizes that “given the likelihood that the UN and other humanitarian organizations will be delivering assistance in insecure environment, the Government of Ethiopia will be responsible for ‘ensuring the safety and security of staff of UN agencies and humanitarian partners.”
The Ethiopian herald December 16/2020
