The United Nations has Thursday confirmed the killing of a humanitarian worker identified as Yared Melese who was working for Action for Social Development and Environmental Protection Organization.
Melese was kidnapped for ransom and later killed by an unidentified criminal armed group operating in Dawunt district of North Wello Zone, Amhara region.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the kidnapping for ransom and subsequent killing of our colleague, Yared Melese, by criminals, whilst he was serving in the line of duty,” the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement.
”Any attack, threat, looting or extortion demands are unacceptable breaches of our Code of Conduct” said Ramiz Alakbarov Humanitarian Coordinator in Ethiopia.
“As a Nutrition Officer, Yared was a brave and dedicated humanitarian worker who was ready to assist civilians in need under extremely challenging circumstances,” said Alakbarov.
Including this latest incident, eight humanitarian workers have been killed in Ethiopia so far in 2024 (six in the Amhara Region), whilst at least 14 incidents of kidnap of aid workers for ransom have been reported, a majority in the Central and North Gondar zones of Ahmara Region.
According to the statement, while the Humanitarian Country Team remains committed to assisting vulnerable Ethiopians wherever they are, and as resources and the security environment allow, such incidents undermine the ability of humanitarian workers to assist people in need, particularly children and women, who depend on our vital assistance.
MG/as/APA