Hijackers hold drivers of humanitarian aid trucks taken in northern Ethiopia: UN

Amidst the conflicting situation in Ethiopia, a United Nations official revealed that military groups are holding up some of the drivers of 18 hijacked humanitarian aid trucks in the Amhara region of the nation's northern part.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq stated that a group of armed people, from either the Ethiopian National Defense Forces or a connected associate of military force, stormed the Disaster Risk Management Committee site in Kombolcha on December 10 and forcibly seized 18 World Food Programme (WFP) trucks, as per Xinhua. 

Haq went on to say that WFP and its non-governmental organisation (NGO) partners have strongly denounced the seizure of its humanitarian trucks and resources, and also claimed that this particular incident poses threats against its workers. He further confirmed that some drivers are still being held.

Furthermore, the WFP had reported to the UN headquarters in New York earlier that the hijackers had released 15 of the vehicles, with the locations of some of the truck drivers being unclear. In addition to this, the thefts had been reported to the Ethiopian federal government, and local officials in Dessie are assisting in the recovery of the remaining seized vehicles, according to Haq. The trucks were further utilised by the individuals for their personal purposes, he added. 

WFP reports trucks drivers to be missing

As per Xinhua, WFP has reported drivers to be missing, but the UN chief's deputy spokesperson does not know how many are missing. The drivers, according to the official, were not among the UN workers imprisoned by federal authorities in Addis Ababa and the troubled Tigray area north of Amhara last month.

Even though Haq had no detailed information on the humanitarian truckers, he said, "We still have under detention 10 staffers and two dependents," pointing to the previous federal captives. Earlier in the month of November, approximately 70 truck drivers who were assigned to transport humanitarian goods by the UN and other organisations, have been seized and arrested by Ethiopian authorities.

In addition to this, highlighting the statement of the WFP and its partners, Haq added, "Under international humanitarian law, it is prohibited to attack, destroy, misappropriate, or loot relief supplies, installations, material, units, or vehicles," as per Xinhua.

Meanwhile, on December 2, UN chief Antonio Guterres announced that for the first time in more than six weeks, nearly 157 trucks carrying food and humanitarian relief had arrived in Tigray's capital, Mekelle. As per media reports, he also stated that over a hundred lorries containing tons of food and clothing have been en route to the war-torn country.

(Image: AP)