At UNSC, India seeks to beef up humanitarian assistance in Ethiopia's war-laden Tigray

The international community needs to scale up support for Ethiopia amid escalating crises in the Tigray region, India's Deputy Permanent Ambassador to the United Nations, R Ravindra said while speaking at the UN Security Council on Peace and Security (UNSC) in Africa. He also urged the UN to beef up efforts "consistent" with UN guiding principles of humanitarian assistance. "Ethiopia needs all the support it can get from the international community," ambassador Ravindra asserted.

With continued aggression and belligerence, the unilateral ceasefire seemed to have "not been grasped," he said highlighting the severe impact of the Tigrayan conflict on the civil population, as per ANI. Emphasising the need for strengthening efforts towards re-establishing the ceasefire, ambassador Ravindra strongly condemned the atrocities committed by the armed group. He also called for the immediate prosecution of sexual assault perpetrators and human rights violations of civilians, especially women and children.

"The unilateral ceasefire announced by the Government of Ethiopia on June 28, 2021, was an important step. Unfortunately, the opportunity provided by the ceasefire seems not to have been grasped, with the continuing aggression and belligerence of one side and the spread of fighting beyond the Tigray region," Ravindra stated at the council meeting on Thursday, as per ANI.

R Ravindra lauds Ethiopia's leadership in addressing the humanitarian crisis

Underscoring the importance of building mutual trust and reconciliation efforts, the ambassador also highlighted that the gaps could be bridged by coordinating emergency assistance efforts for displaced people. Noting the efforts of the Ethiopian government in addressing the humanitarian crisis in the country, the ambassador welcomed the establishment of a Regional Emergency Coordination Center in Semera, which comprised of federal institutions/regional counterparts, including the World Food Programme and UN Human Rights Council. The joint effort has been undertaken to facilitate the movement of food-laden trucks en route Tigray through the conflict zones such as Afar.

Fresh conflicts between Ethiopia and Tigray broke out after the Ethiopian government accused Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF) of breaching regional military base borders to rob weapons to arm anti-government militants in November. Following this, the military forces launched operations, with the help of Entriea, in the conflict-ridden Tigrayan region. Like several other leaders, ambassador Ravindra also highlighted the importance of political dialogue and engagements within the constitutional framework of Ethiopia to build "lasting peace and stability" in the country.

With ANI inputs

Image: ANI/AP