The Ethiopian Disaster and Risk Management Commission has begun delivering food assistance in different areas of the Tigray region. Medicine and related items have been delivered to Shire Town in three rounds. These deliveries have allowed health centres and Hospitals to resume services in Shire areas.
The Ministry of Health has dispatched 14 health professionals to Shire Town to provide medical services and undertake a need assessment. The assessment has covered the Shire Hospital and three other health centres. Accordingly, 411 of the 520 health workers at the Shire Hospital have returned to work. The Hospital has started its outpatient, inpatient, emergency, laboratory, and pharmacy services. Delivery to other health centres continues imminently.
In areas not covered by the Government, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has delivered 33.9 metric tons of medicine and related necessities. Others such as the World Food Program (WFP) have resumed distributing food, medicine, and essential goods to Mekelle and other parts of the region.
Apart from ensuring humanitarian provision, the Government is working to deliver on its commitment to restoring services across the Region. In fact, the restoration of services started in some secured parts of the region even before the signing of the agreement. Repair works on major electricity substations connecting the Region to the national grid have been going on.
Telecom services have resumed in areas where power connection has been re-established. In other areas, repair work is underway to reconnect power. Now that the peace agreement provides the required guarantee for the safety of service operators, the government will be able to fully deliver on its responsibility of restoring services in all towns in Tigray and the neighbouring Amhara and Afar Regions. The government welcomes the readiness of partners to contribute to this reconstruction effort.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, London, UK.
