Mekelle, January 27, 2022 – Tigrai Television- ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric visited Ethiopia to reaffirm ICRC will scale up its activities in Ethiopia.
Speaking with Tigrai Television on Friday, Head of ICRC Mekelle Sub Delegation Nicolas Olivier said the President’s visit went very well enabling her to understand the humanitarian needs on the ground.
Mirjana Spoljaric met with the President of Ethiopia Sahelwerk Zewde, Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mokenen, the Minister of Health and Tigrian authorities, as well as the Ethiopian Red Cross Society. “I think she understood the humanitarian challenges and she will advocate to enable the ICRC to do more in Ethiopia and of course in Tigrai.” Olivier said.
Speaking about ICRC’s activities in Tigrai, Olivier said that ICRC is now focusing on areas where active battles were taking place. “We are reaching also areas that were previously not accessible, especially after the peace agreement” he stated.
Asked about if the ICRC failed in Ethiopia in light of the violations of humanitarian law including the killing of humanitarian workers in the war on Tigrai, the Head said “we were very sad, we expressed very clearly that humanitarian workers are not a target.”
“I don’t think we failed. We saved the lives of POWs and war wounded. ICRC in Ethiopia is perceived as a neutral, independent, and impartial humanitarian worker.” he added.
ICRC sub-delegation in Mekelle is one of the five sub-delegations of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Ethiopia.
By Abel Tsgabu
