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Updated November 8th, 2021 at 09:25 IST

Pope Francis denounces humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia, calls for dialogue to end war

Pope Francis on Sunday publicly denounced the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia and called for dialogues to prevail over the prolonged war.

Reported by: Dipaneeta Das
Pope Francis
IMAGE: AP | Image:self
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Head of Catholic Church, Pope Francis on Sunday publicly denounced the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia. He also called for dialogues to prevail over the prolonged war at the conclusion of the Angelus in St. Peter's Square, Vatican News reported. The Pope particularly expressed his concern over the ongoing conflict in the Horn of Africa region, where several people have lost their lives and very serious humanitarian crisis is looming.

On Sunday, Pope Francis also paid tribute to three martyrs for the faith proclaimed in Manresa, Spain. He also put out Gospel messages reflecting sincerity and asking to watch out for hypocrisy. "This is a warning for all time and for everyone," the Pope emphasised, as per Vatican News.

Moreover, Pope Francis was dressed in his traditional attire and addressed the public. He also "assured prayers" for nearly 100 victims who were killed in an oil tanker explosion in Sierra Leone on Friday. "I invite everyone to pray for those peoples so harshly struggling, and I renew my appeal that fraternal harmony and the peaceful path of dialogue may prevail," the Pope said while remembering the thousands killed and millions displaced due to the conflict in the Tigrayan region of Ethiopia.

Meanwhile, on Friday, the UN Security Council called for an end to intensifying conflicts that have led to an unhindered humanitarian and hunger crisis in Ethiopia. Last week, the Rome-based UN World Food Programme also appealed to all parties to allow food-laden trucks to enter the zones lacking basic supplies. However, the requests have so far remained unheeded.

"The members of the Security Council called for refraining from inflammatory hate speech and incitement to violence and divisiveness, and respect of international humanitarian law, for safe and unhindered humanitarian access, the re-establishment of public services, and further urged the scaling up of humanitarian assistance,” the UN Security Council stated in an official press statement, Friday. 

Ongoing conflict between Tigray and Northern Ethiopia

Months after Nobel Peace Prize winner Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took the chair, he launched a "coordinated attack" against the rebel forces in the Northern Tigray region in November 2020. The Prime Minister made the call after the Afar leftist political front TPLF sieged a key Ethiopian military base at Sero by using tanks and machine guns. This had led to the ignition of a 10-months long prolonged war in the region.

The conflict has claimed the lives of thousands of people and displaced over 2 million due to shelling in the Horn of Africa. In January 2021, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) informed that about 56,000 fled to neighbouring Sudan amidst the ongoing war.

(Image: AP)

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Published November 8th, 2021 at 09:25 IST

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