Wolfgang Wedan, Global Emergency Relief Coordinator of Jugend Eine Welt, traveled to the civil war-torn region to plan rapid relief measures by the Austrian Development Organization
“The situation is dramatic. There is a serious food problem in Tigray. “Children and elderly people are starving in rural areas.”
reported Wolfgang Wedan, Global Emergency Relief Coordinator of Jugend Eine Welt, after returning from Ethiopia. The experienced disaster relief worker traveled to the Tigray region a few days ago to initiate concrete relief measures for the population that has been severely traumatized and suffering by the civil war that has now ended.
Catastrophic situation for internally displaced people
On his trip, Wedan visited the smaller towns of Shire, Adwa and Adigrat in the north, as well as Mekele, the capital of the Tigray region. In addition, the Global Emergency Relief Coordinator from Jugend Eine Welt got a picture of the eight camps for internally displaced people. According to the UN, more than a million people cannot return to their original hometown. They are currently housed in former schools, barracks and factories as well as in makeshift refugee camps. “On average, between 40,000 to 50,000 people find refuge in each camp. The spatial and hygienic conditions are catastrophic. To provide a little privacy, plastic sheets are hung up. The refugees have to live in very small spaces. Fathers, mothers and children sometimes sleep on the floor.”
, says Wedan. “In one of the refugee camps there were only two toilets on the entire site. Long queues form. Everyone can imagine what the hygienic conditions are like in and around the camp.”the Styrian continued.
Population traumatized after war
It is estimated that around 700,000 people died during the two-year Tigray conflict. To put it into perspective: Before the civil war, the Tigray region had seven million inhabitants. “Many people I spoke to on site openly talk about genocide.”says Wedan. The Eritrean armed forces, which fought together with the Ethiopian government’s army against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), are said to have rounded up around 800 young people in a large textile factory near Adwa. “First they had to clear out the entire hall for the armed forces, then they were all shot.”, Wedan recounts the contents of a conversation with Tesfaselassie Medhin, Bishop of Adigrat. In addition, mass rape and torture have been proven to have taken place during the civil war. “When you look into the eyes of older people, you usually only see absolute emptiness. The population is traumatized. Sick and war disabled people no longer leave their homes because they are ashamed. It urgently needs help. Not just in the short term when it comes to food and medical supplies, but also in the longer term when it comes to clean drinking water and electricity. Another big point is school operations. Schools are now teaching again. But the children have no notebooks or pens to take notes in class and put what they have learned on paper.”
Two million people are threatened with starvation
In addition, climate change is increasingly aggravating the situation of the suffering population. Many wells are empty. The extreme heat dried up rivers and bodies of water. Water for agriculture is lacking everywhere. “If it rains once, the rain is so strong that the harvest is destroyed”said Wedan. “In addition, there is also the deforestation of the forests in order to have firewood for cooking. Gas or fuel are not affordable. Inflation is driving prices extremely high.” Wedan cites the price of a liter of gasoline as an example: in December it still cost one euro. When he visited in April it had already risen to three euros. “Wood is therefore the only affordable option for the population in Tigray. However, the deforestation of the forests means that heavy rains increasingly trigger mudflows that destroy the fertile soils.” According to the Interim Regional Administration (IRA) of Tigray, which was set up after the war, around two million people in Tigray are at risk of starvation and another 5.2 million are in need of food aid.
Youth One World project partners on site
The Salesians of Don Bosco, long-standing project partners of Jugend Eine Welt in the Tigray region, are not only on site in the larger cities, but also in rural areas, where the situation is becoming increasingly dramatic. According to UN figures, more than 13 percent of all children under five in Tigray are malnourished – as are around half of all pregnant and breastfeeding women. “Our local project partners provide breastfeeding mothers and children with the necessary vitamins and cook soup every day. Without this help the children would not be able to grow up. Drinking water is distributed through wells. Baked bread is brought to the refugee camps and handed over to the starving people for distribution.”says the global emergency aid coordinator of the Austrian development organization. “Medical care in the Tigray region is nil. Medicines have to be brought from the capital Addis Ababa to the north, 1,000 kilometers away. This is of course extremely expensive and therefore not affordable for the general public.”Wedan continued.
Fast and sustainable help needed
Jugend Eine Welt’s plans to provide quick and sustainable aid to the needy population in Tigray have been in full swing since Wedan’s return. “We are talking here about emergency aid projects for food and water supplies, but also about sustainable, long-term help in the areas of trauma management and school education. The people in need in Tigray are dependent on outside help. Please don’t let them down.”
asks Reinhard Heiserer, Managing Director of Jugend Eine Weltto donate.
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Wolfang Wedan, Global Emergency Relief Coordinator at Jugend Eine Welt, is available for further interviews.
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Mag. Thomas Zach, MA
Youth One World | Press and public relations
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