Ethiopia’s Tigray receives 1st humanitarian aid after peace accord

The Ethiopian government says the first round of humanitarian assistanceë has reached 450,000 people in the Tigray region after the recent signing of a peace accord.

The Ethiopian National Disaster Risk Management Commission said the government has intensified humanitarian supplies to vulnerable in the region.

The government used various transport means to reach the vulnerable, state-run Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) quoted NDRMC officials as saying.

NDRMC distributed 90,000 quintals of nutritious foods to 450,000 people in the first round of humanitarian supplies.

The national relief body said over 60 vehicles loads of humanitarian supplies have arrived at their destinations in the region.

The latest humanitarian aid provision in Tigray came after senior commanders of the Ethiopian government and the rebel Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), de facto ruler of the Tigray region, agreed to facilitate humanitarian access in conflict-hit parts of northern Ethiopia in an agreement facilitated by the African Union (AU).

Parties to the conflict have agreed to promote humanitarian access in Tigray and neighbouring regions.

They also agreed to facilitate the movement of humanitarian aid workers.

The parties agreed to provide security guarantees for aid workers and humanitarian organisations.

Protecting civilians, provided in the “permanent cessation of hostilities”, is part of the agreement signed by both sides on Nov. 2. (Xinhua)