‘Peace is indispensable’ says UN deputy chief in Ethiopia, hearing stories of conflict and hope |

news7f02/10/2022

28 6 minutes read

‘Peace is indispensable’ says UN deputy chief in Ethiopia, hearing stories of conflict and hope |

Monitor African Union Summit on Saturdaywhere she represents general secretaryAmina Mohammed left on Sunday for Amhara, one of the northern regions affected by violence that broke out in November 2020, between Government forces and those allied with separatists in Tigray.

She has met many people, including Vice President Amhara, and witnessed first-hand how the United Nations is trying to support those most in need.

“There is a lot of work that has been done here for us to try to help the people of Amhara. But It is clear that the cost of conflict is too high, and therefore peace is indispensable”, she said, asking the Foundation for continued support.

Across all three conflict-affected areas to the north, more than nine million people currently in need of humanitarian food assistance, the highest number to date, since the conflict began.

School destroyed

Throughout the day, she has witnessed how hospitals, markets, schools and farms have been destroyed by conflict over the past 15 months, and witnessed for herself what the results were for locals. How to deal with difficulties.

She meets a group of students from a high school in Kombolcha, badly damaged in the fighting. Until very recently, the school, founded 45 years ago, was considered one of the best in the country.

But then the war came.

Speaking with Ms. Mohammed, one student leader recalled how devastated they were when they learned their class had become the latest victim of the conflict.

“The high school has produced many people who have made a significant contribution to the country and are respected by the Ethiopian people. Members of the community have contributed from their meager incomes, to add to the school facilities, so that we can have a quality education.‘, the student recalls.

Now, she said, none of them can contribute to rebuilding and equipping the new learning areas, as they are struggling to make ends meet.

“We need your support to rebuild our school,” she said.

Tigray

The Deputy Secretary-General then left Amhara for Tigray, where clashes first broke out between federal government troops and forces loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).

She discussed options for a peaceful resolution of the conflict, with the President of the region, and the benefits it would bring to all Ethiopians, and also visited Ayder Hospital.

The medical center, located in the regional capital, Mekelle, is supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), sexual and reproductive health agency, and provides comprehensive support to rape survivors.

“It was an experience, to see the full range of psychological and physical effects of rape on women – the care,” Ms. Mohammed said.

For her, the most heartbreaking part of the visit were the stories of individual survival.

“Those stories need to be told. We need to know that in conflict, there is no winner. In fact, the people to whom this falls the most, are women and children“, she speaks.

Health care

The Deputy Secretary-General met with one of the doctors, who recounted that in the past there were a lot of gloves, but now the supply is simply exhausted.

“We wash them, disinfect them and send them back to use again. Same thing with test tubes. We’re out of test tubes with anticoagulants. So we’re trying to reprocess them,” he said.

Ethiopia has managed to maintain one of the lowest rates of HIV in East Africabut that job has become much more difficult now.

In recent months, many HIV diagnostic kits have expired. The team is now trying to see if they are still in use. In the meantime, they can continue to use what they have, as there are no alternatives.

“Doctors have found it very difficult to get used to the situation. This is a man-made conflict. We are hoping to scale them up and take care of them a little more,” said the doctor.

Non-stop drought in Somalia

On Monday, Ms. Mohammed visited the conflict-affected Somali region, where she was attended by the President of Ethiopia, Sahle-Work Zewde.

Along with three other lowlands, Somalia is currently suffering from a prolonged drought. Wells run dry, killing livestock and crops, pushing hundreds of thousands of children and families to the brink.

The endless drought will go away more than 6.8 million those in need of urgent humanitarian assistance in mid-March.

The UN Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator in Ethiopia, Catherine Sozi, told UN News that, by 2021, the organization’s allocation to the Somali region for aid to those most in need is more than $18 million. An additional $20 million will be allocated to the region this month.

“In addition to humanitarian assistance, we are looking at what caused people to be displaced in the first place and will find sustainable long-term solutions that address the root causes,” she explains.

Moved

During his time in Somalia, the Deputy Secretary-General met with the Regional President, as well as herders, displaced persons and community leaders.

One of those displaced is Nimu Mohammed, 45 years old and a mother of nine children.

She recalls how she had lost her livestock and pasture, and as the drought worsened, she was forced to leave the village with her three young children, leaving behind the six remaining children.

In Kebrebeyeh, she finds a friendly community, despite the hardships they all face.

“They are sharing with us what they have. However, the challenges of drought are beyond the capabilities of our host communities. We need food, water and other essential support immediately,” she said.

Emphasizing the impact of climate change, The Deputy Secretary-General encouraged the regional president to look beyond agriculture, to innovations that can increase water supplies and help restore prosperity to the region.

She also commended the Somali people for maintaining peace in their region, noting that they have provided an example for other countries in Africa and the world to follow.

“What we see in Somalia is that we need to do more to save lives, but also more to save livelihoods and build a prosperous region, a prosperous Ethiopia. And to do that, we need cooperation. The United Nations cannot do it alone,” she said.

Ms. Mohammed hopes that the trip will highlight existing needs; and that future partnerships can bring more investment, not just aid, to the region.

Creative Center

On Tuesday, she returned to the country’s capital, Addis Ababa, to hear stories from young businesswomen.

They are all part of the Innovation Hub supported by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

Speaking to the women, she reminded them of the strength they possess through sticking together and supporting each other.

“What I like about the spirit here is that you don’t wait for anyone to show you how. You’re just saying, ‘give me a chance to create the environment and I can do it. I can develop it. I could be so much bigger and better. ‘ And this is exciting,” Ms. Mohammed said.

Faces of hope

One of the participants in the meeting was Lidia Million, Founder and General Manager of Linu Manufacturing PLC, a company that manufactures leather products.

After overcoming many challenges to become competitive in the international market, she and 9 other entrepreneurs founded an association called LOMI, inspired by the Amharic proverb “50 lemons, burden heavy for one person but jewelry for 50”.

“This cluster work has helped us a lot,” she said, explaining how the center facilitates access to training, new technology, facilities, markets and networks.

“That makes us competitive in the international market and a common response to the growing demands for our products.“, She added.

Listening to their stories, seeing their faces filled with excitement, what Ms. Mohammed saw as hope, she said, was the belief that “Ethiopia’s strength can be felt on the continent and beyond in other regions”.

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news7f02/10/2022

28 6 minutes read