The UN said Friday that fighting continued “in many parts” of Ethiopia’s Tigray, complicating efforts to deliver humanitarian aid despite an agreement that gave the UN access to territory under federal control.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced military operations in the northern region a month ago, saying they were targeting the leaders of its ruling party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). Last week, he declared victory and said the fighting was “over” after federal forces entered the regional capital of Mekele. But TPLF has promised to fight on.
“We have reports of fighting still going on in many parts of Tigray. This is worrying and a complex situation for us,” Saviano Abreu, spokesman for the UN Humanitarian Coordination Office, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The conflict has claimed thousands of lives, according to the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank, and tens of thousands of refugees have fled across the border into Sudan.
The UN has warned of a possible humanitarian catastrophe in Tigray, although a communication shutdown has made it difficult to assess conditions on the ground. On Wednesday, the UN announced that it had reached an agreement to administer government-controlled areas in Tigray. But as of Friday, security assessments were still being conducted and three UN officials told AFP that aid was not expected to arrive until next week.
.
