Mekelle: 19 April 2024 (Tigray Herald)
Awakening from the Shadow of War: Our Aid Efforts in the Tigray Region in Ethiopia
to ensure safe water for the children.
The humanitarian crisis
The education system in Tigray faces significant challenges, with schools lacking essential resources and infrastructure. Many students attend school without basic learning materials, and teachers have gone unpaid for months. The security problem in some of the schools has led parents to stop sending their children to school.
WASH services were already inadequate in Tigray before the conflict. The region witnessed low water supply coverage: only 32.49% of the region’s people have access to safe water, mainly due to non-functional water schemes.
There was also limited access to safe water sources: almost 70 % of the population relies on unprotected sources like rivers and ponds. These sources expose them to waterborne diseases. The sanitation facilities are insufficient, and only less than 10 % of households have latrines, leading to widespread open defecation and sanitation-related illnesses.
Despite ongoing challenges, we remain committed to supporting the people of Tigray and alleviating their suffering in the wake of the conflict.
ABOUT THE WAR IN TIGRAY
Beginning in 2020, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) engaged in a two-year-long war with the federal government of Ethiopia. This war caused widespread devastation to the country’s economy, social fabric, and mental well-being. It was sparked by a power struggle in November 2020, electoral disputes, and calls for political reform. After two years of turmoil, negotiations led to the end of the war. The Ethiopia–Tigray peace agreement, also known as the Pretoria Agreement or the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA), was signed on November 2, 2022, in Pretoria, South Africa.
