Mekelle: 3 December 2023 (Tigray Herald)
Hunger claims 41 lives in a single vicinity in Eastern Tigray
Akeza, a mother in the district of Sewha Saesie district recently lost her husband due to starvation.
She speaks this as we found her in the vicinity of Welwalo along side her destitute children.
She says nobody is around to help her as the residents fled to nearby towns for labour.
Despite the horrific humanitarian situation on the ground, she says, they haven’t received any humanitarian assistance.
Administrator of the vicinity of Welwalo in the district of Sewha Saesie Eastern #Tigray told Tigray television that 41 people have died in the vicinity since September 2023.
Legesse Gebreslassie, administrator, said the people died from an extreme hunger.
“To put the numbers in detail 23 are male, 14 women and 4 children.”
Earlier this month Tigray television reported the death of 91 residents in the district.
But, Kibrom Gebrehiwet, Head of health sector in the district, says the number has been alarmingly doubled to 215 with in just a month .
Legesse, the vicinity administrator, also says the drought is not only killing human beings but also animals.
He also said 47 children are malnourished and ten of them remain on the verge of death.
74 nursing mothers are also waiting thier death due to starvation according to him.
41 studnets have also been forced to drop out of school .
Another starved blind woman Fotyen,also says she is suffering with her blind daughter and grandchildren who are forced to stop school due to lack of food.
She states the severity of the situation comparing to the previous drought.
Vicinity administrator also called the remark by the Ethiopian Communication Affairs minister “irresponsible “and called on federal authorities to come and witness the severity of the starvation on the ground.
The vicinity administrator Legesse also criticized the sluggish implementation of Pretoria peace deal that stipulates unfettered humanitarian assistance to the needy in Tigray.
“People are dying on a daily basis .I beleive the mediators and actors in the peace agreemnt are responsible for failing to act accordingly” he said.
Source፡Tigray Television.
