Sharp rise in child deaths after Tigray loses food aid

In the month since the US and the UN suspended food aid to Ethiopia’s war-ravaged Tigray region, doctors at the biggest hospital there say seven malnourished children have died.

That marked increase in May makes up more than half of the 13 total deaths since the start of year, staff at the Ayder referral hospital told the BBC.

What’s more, medical charity MSF says nearly 70% of health facilities in Tigray have been deliberately vandalised and had equipment looted to make them “non-functional”.

At present, 32 children are in very critical condition and receiving treatment in an intensive care unit at the Ayder referral hospital.

“Children in the ward are most vulnerable and thought couldn’t recover with food assistance outside of the hospital,” medic Simret Nigusse told the BBC’s Tigrinya service, adding that international humanitarian agencies were wrong to halt operations in Tigray.

This week both the UN and US went a step further, announcing they would be suspending food to the whole of Ethiopia, with some exceptions for only the most vulnerable.

The Ethiopian government and TPLF rebels signed a peace pact in Pretoria in November last year to end the two-year war that led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands and forced millions to be displaced. The warring parties were also accused of human rights violations.

Source: BBC Africa