UN chief António Guterres Thursday said that he is gravely concerned about the situation in Ethiopia, particularly the “unspeakable violence” against women.
The Secretary-General’s remarks came on World Humanitarian Day, and he recognized humanitarians “and the many millions of people they strive to help everyday”.
He described the misery of the Ethiopian people, and the “hellish” humanitarian conditions they are facing, with millions in need and infrastructure destroyed. The spread of the conflict, he added, has “ensnared even more people in its horror”.
“Now is the time to put an end to the suffering”, stressed Mr. Guterres. “It is time for all parties to recognize that there is no military solution, and it is vital to preserve the unity and stability of Ethiopia which is critical to the region and beyond”.
Guterres on pushed for an immediate ceasefire and unrestricted aid access in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, where he said millions of people needed help and women had suffered “unspeakable violence.”
“It is time for all parties to recognize that there is no military solution, and it is vital to preserve the unity and stability of Ethiopia which is critical to the region and beyond,” Guterres told reporters in New York.
Ethiopian federal government troops and forces from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) have been battling since November in a war that has killed thousands of people, led to a major refugee crisis and ethnic killings, rape as a weapon of war and a humanitarian crisis.
MG/abj/APA