Mekelle: 9 December 2023 (Tigray Herald)
Tigray Opposition SaWeT Appeals for Global Intervention to Halt ‘Man-Made’ Hunger in Tigray.
SaWeT has issued a distress call to the international community and aid organizations on Tuesday, urging urgent intervention to address what they describe as a “calamitous man-made famine” in Tigray. The Tigray-based opposition, Salsay Weyane, said that the famine is a result of both drought and a genocidal war, leading to daily casualties among the Tigrayan population.
The political organization accuses the Ethiopian Government of downplaying the severity of the crisis and using it as a weapon. SaWeT condemns the government’s denial, asserting that Tigrayans are enduring a form of genocide by attrition, facing extermination through starvation at home and in IDP camps. They also point to a lack of effective response from the local leadership, labeling them as corrupt and incapable of handling the humanitarian crisis.
Salsay Weyane criticizes the suspension of life-saving food assistance by humanitarian organizations, attributing it to the deaths of thousands during several months. The party’s assessment identifies thirty-three administrative districts in Tigray severely affected by famine. Despite SaWeT’s prior warnings and calls for preemptive measures, they claim their pleas were ignored.
The party expresses skepticism towards the Interim Administration’s efforts to address the crisis through the “Urgent Response for Tigray” committee, citing a lack of institutional transparency that could potentially lead to embezzlement of resources. Salsay Weyane proposes the establishment of a transparent famine response body, involving all relevant stakeholders.
SaWeT appeals to the international community and humanitarian organizations, urgently requesting their intervention to mitigate what they term a calamitous man-made famine in Tigray.
