RAPE and sexual violence during the conflict in northern Ethiopia have sparked HIV/AIDS and unwanted pregnancy crises in the region. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) raised concern at the catastrophe that has led to children infected. The agency noted across Afar, Amhara and Tigray regions, health facilities were reporting sexual violence-related complications, including injuries, unwanted pregnancies while other cases were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Some victim endured obstetric complications, including fistula. In Tigray, among the women and girls who got tested for HIV/AIDS, 3 percent of them are HIV positive. Ayder’s One-Stop-Centre confirmed the infection rate. Rape and sexual abuse have been among the hallmarks of the crisis that has been raging since late 2020. It followed the regional Tigray government falling out with the federal administration. The health sector has borne the brunt. “The conflict-driven displacement is pushing malnutrition rates up, with children and pregnant and lactating women particularly impacted by hunger,” said a UNFPA official. Access to maternal and newborn care services has suffered massive setbacks due to the critical shortage of skilled healthcare providers, medical supplies and damage to health infrastructure. This has led to a phenomenal increase in maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity. A majority of hospitals and health centers as well as ambulances have been looted, damaged and vandalised. Nearly 7 000 health workers have fled. Source: CAJ News Agency

The government of Ethiopia has supplied over 75,000 tons of food items to the draught affected areas in the Somali Regional State, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said.
PM Abiy made the remark while responding to questions posed by members of the House of Peoples’ Representatives today.

During the occasion, the Prime Minister said that children’s nutrition was also supplied to the affected region.

In a bid to alleviate the water shortage in the region, the government has supplied 259 trucks of clean water, he added.

According to him, humanitarian assistance in giving access to nutritious food, nutrients, and immunizations served as a short-term remedy that prevented people from dying.

Cattle have been severely harmed, Abiy said adding that the government of Ethiopia is working to curb the challenges of drought in the long term plans.

“Water conservation, market links, and broad cloud seeding are among the long-term alternatives,” he stated.

Since the Somali Region and neighboring Borena zone have vast fertile land and human resources, if the government manages to bring water to this area, it is possible to curve the problem, the Premier stated.

Regarding the overall agricultural activities in the country, Abiy told the 3rd Extraordinary Session of the HPR that cluster farming is a productive and profitable method of mechanized farming that has to be widely adopted by Ethiopian farmers.

According to him, currently some 600 thousand hectares of land have been covered with wheat crop from which 25 million quintal of production is expected.

 

Source: Ethiopia News Agency

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