Sunday, October 3, 2021

As famine grips Ethiopia's Tigray region, government orders U.N. humanitarian workers to leave the country

 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/famine-tigray-ethiopia-expels-un-humanitarian-workers/?ftag=YHF4eb9d17

Raygn Jordan

Ethiopia's Tigray region has a humanitarian crisis that is "spiraling out of control." According to the U.N., 5.2 million people are in need of food aid and 400,000 are living in famine-like conditions. The U.N. had workers from UNICEF (the children's agency), OHCHR (the human rights office), and UNOCHA (the humanitarian aid agency) in Ethiopia. The government of Ethiopia announced it was removing seven humanitarian U.N workers from the country because they were "meddling in the internal affairs of the country" and called them "persona non grata" (an unwelcome person). They were given 72 hours to leave the country. Officials of the U.N. are shocked at the removal and have stated that "all U.N. humanitarian operations are guided by the core principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence." They have also heavily criticized Ethiopia's decision as the U.N. is providing life-saving aid to people desperately in need. U.N. sent a "Note Verbale" to Ethiopia "to clarify that it is the long-standing legal position of the organization [U.N.] not to accept the application of the doctrine of 'persona non grata' with respect to United Nations officials." Although global leaders including some from the U.S. have been quick to make appeals to Ethiopia so far, no reversal has happened.




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